Nyingifa upbeat about D'Tigress chances at FIBA World Cup
Nigeria will go heads on with familiar foes, prompting Nyingifa to dismiss calls of Nigeria's underdogs status in the group
The draw for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 is known now and Nigeria forward, Atonye Nyingifa remains upbeat about the African champions' chances in Australia.
D'Tigress have been drawn in Group B alongside host Australia, Canada, France, Japan and Serbia.
It is no doubt a tough group but despite being the lowest-ranked in the pool, it takes nothing away from the only African representative in the upcoming World Cup.
Nigeria will go heads on with familiar foes, prompting Nyingifa to dismiss calls of Nigeria's underdogs status in the group.
"We've played teams in both groups and these are the Top-12 best countries in the world," Nyingifa said to FIBA.basketball.
She continued: "I would say our chances are very good. We always go into a competition with a winning mindset. We've upset and shocked the world in many international tournaments, we have proven we belong at the top," recalled the member of the D'Tigress squad that competed in the 2018 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.
Nigeria is currently ranked No.14 in the World Cup behind Group B's Australia (No.3), Canada (No.4), France (No.6), Japan (No.8) and Serbia (No.10).
Nyingifa adds: "I would say we are no longer the underdogs so the element of surprise will not be on our side but at the same time we are not the same team from the last World Cup. So, just because they think they know who they saw back then that is not how we are now. We will get better, we are better. So there will still be some surprises."
The 1.83m (6ft), who currently plays for CDB Clarinos Tenerife of Spain explained that past experiences will go a long way to help Nigeria prepare for each opponent.
"We played against every single team in our group and each country was a different experience. Some of the countries we played against when we were just starting our winning streak and in some countries we played in the Olympics. Overall we're playing against the best competitors in the world and the competition is fierce yet exciting to know that you are surrounded by elite players."
Asked if she would have preferred Nigeria in Group A, the American-Nigerian replied: "It wouldn't change anything. I believe everything happens for a reason and whatever is God's will shall be. It doesn't matter who we play because our identity stays the same," she noted.
Knowing the strength of the teams in Group B leaves many to question which would be tough or easy encounters.
Nyigifa would admit none but insists that: "There are no easy games. Every team we're playing is amongst the Top 10 to 15 in the world and we don't take that lightly. On any given day anything can happen, so there's never anything given and there's never anything easy.
"Yes, we've struggled against Australia and France but we've also beaten France. So I think it has more to do with us in our focus in our intensity that will give us a victory," she stressed.
Nigeria's return to the Olympics at Tokyo 2020 after16 years was not a rosy one for D'Tigress and she says:
"That was our first time going to the Olympics in a very long time. So, of course, there are things that could've been done better but there were a lot of things that were done very well. We had a few bumps on the road with gear, travel, and organization, but being on this team for some time I saw the tremendous growth we made before the Olympics."
