NBBF Clarifies Late Roster Adjustments To D’Tigress World Cup Squad

By Akeem Busari

The Nigeria Basketball Federation wishes to clarify the circumstances surrounding late adjustments to the D’Tigress roster for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which tips off in Berlin today.

Five players named in the extended squad are unable to feature. The reasons are separate and unrelated, and none of them relate to form, fitness, conduct or selection.

Guard Ifunanya Okoro was unable to travel with the delegation after her entry visa was not issued within the tournament’s travel window, despite documentation being filed through the appropriate channels.

Gabby White, Uche Izoje and Favour Nwaedozi each returned to their universities as the academic session resumed, in line with academic commitments that fell directly across the tournament window.

The Federation places a high value on its relationships with the collegiate institutions that develop Nigerian talent, and we respect the academic obligations our players carry alongside their national service. We are grateful to each of these athletes for the time they gave to camp, and we expect to see all three back in the green and white.

Guard Shay Ijiwoye was named in the roster submitted to FIBA, but her eligibility documentation was not concluded before the registration deadline and she could not be cleared to play. Shay is in Berlin with the delegation, remains a valued member of this programme, and will continue with the team in a support capacity through the tournament.

The Federation wishes to be unambiguous on one point: no player has been dropped, sanctioned or set aside. Every athlete named in our preliminary squad earned that place, and the Federation’s confidence in each of them is undiminished.

General Manager of the national women’s team, Musa Adamu, said:

“These are separate situations that arrived within days of each other, and the burden of them fell entirely on players who had done everything asked of them. Ifunanya’s visa outcome was not within our control. Gabby, Uche and Favour had academic obligations that no athlete should be asked to choose against, and we would not ask them to.

Shay’s file did not close in time, and she deserves better than to have that reduced to a rumour — she is here in Berlin, she is part of this team, and she will be back on the floor for Nigeria.

“We are also not going to pretend that documentation and consular timelines are somebody else’s problem. They are ours to manage, and I have asked for a full review of our registration and travel process, which we will take to FIBA and to our partners so that no Nigerian athlete loses a World Cup to a deadline again.

“Coach Wakama has twelve cleared players, and they are the reigning champions of Africa. Our focus from this morning is Korea Republic.”

Nigeria open their campaign against Korea Republic at the Berlin Arena today, before facing Hungary and France in Group B.

— Media Department, Nigeria Basketball Federation