People always ask this question, what’s in a name? I believe that there is everything in a name.

The Bible tells us that the power of life and death is in the tongue. So the name a child is given at birth most times manifests in his life. We are told of a man named Caleb, said to be a man of the tribe of Judah, known for his unwavering faith in God.

Caleb and Joshua had faith in the assignment given to them to explore Canaanland and they delivered.

In the senior national basketball team, the D’Tigers, we have our own Caleb, the son of Agada. Like the biblical Caleb, he too had faith that it was not over for the D’Tigers in the 2025 FIBA Afrobasket qualifiers.

The team grouped alongside Cape Verde, Uganda and Libya had lost all the three games they played in the first round of the qualifiers held in Tunisia in February of 2024. They placed last in the group and their fans lost hope.

So when the second round came in February of 2025, the team assembled again but among the players who represented Nigeria in the first round of qualifying in Monastir, Tunisia, only two – Mike Nuga and Abe Abuchi Agu returned for the decisive three matches in Tripoli, Libya.

They were handled by a local coach, Abdulrahaman Mohammed who is not new to the team having served severally as one of assistant coaches, the most visible being in the squad of 2015 that won the Afrobasket in Tunisia for the first time under American coach, William Voigt.

One player called into the team was Caleb Agada. And like the biblical Caleb, he had faith that all was not lost, that with a rugged determination, the chestnut could still be pulled out of the fire.

They did it in style, beating the three teams that beat them in the first round and placed third with nine points to qualify alongside Libya and Cape Verde.

Agada who plays currently for Avtor Saratov in Russia, had patriotism flowing through his veins and wanted to ‘die’ for the country.

Hear him: “I know what it means to the country (qualifying for the Afrobasket), what it means to the fans and what it means to represent my country. So every time I step on the court, I want to give my best for the fans, for the veterans who are no longer playing and to make Nigeria proud.





https://www.vanguardngr.com/2025/03/super-eagles-need-a-caleb-by-patrick-omorodion/