D’Tigers star Al-Farouq Aminu shut down criticisms about his style of play and the team’s nervy 73-84 win over Ivory Coast both in Friday’s 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifier.
On the night Al-Farouq posted 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists in the victory but the Forward also turned over 5 in the game – the most by any player in the team and joint in the game.
It was a difficult night for D’Tigers, and particularly for Al-Farouq, who came under criticism for being ‘overwhelmed with playing the physical African style’.
He was also questioned about turning over the ball and the team struggling on the night.
The 27-year-old then went off, “I’ve been playing for the National team since 2012 and at the end of the day Like I said, It’s about winning, nobody is going to remember us if we lose and I have 30 points; so it doesn’t matter to me.
“Every guy on the team, we have a balanced core, and that’s something to be applauded. We all are selfless, we are doing it for the name that’s on the front of our jerseys as well as the back; we want to make our families proud.
“At the end of the day, if one guy has a lot of points and we’re losing, what does that do? You won’t remember who I am unless we went to the Olympics; it doesn’t matter,” He answer.
He continued: “At the end of the day if it’s ugly games and whatever the case might be, you’ve got to learn how to win games.
“So, if we have to play a defensive game we can learn how to win those games. If it’s going to be a turnover game, we’ve got to learn how to win those game. If it’s going to be an offensive game, we’ve got to learn how to win those games.
“So to be a champion you’ve got to learn how to win all different type of games, it’s not going to be a cookie cutter, where ever game is going to be that we score 200 points and hold them to zero point; it’s just not going to go that way.
“Like I said, we just got together but at the end of the day, the number one thing on our agenda is winning,” He concluded.
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