Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigers have finally arrived in Pretoria, five hours ahead of their opening match against Egypt in the Afrobasket U18 Championship.

Their journey was delayed due to visa issues with the South African Consulate in Abuja, which initially denied them entry.

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) reported the matter to FIBA Africa, the host nation, and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After intervention, the team was granted visas and managed to travel late Tuesday night, arriving in Pretoria on Wednesday afternoon.

This tight schedule leaves them with only a few hours to rest and prepare before facing Egypt in their first match of the tournament.