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With Nigeria set to face Uzbekistan in the Davis Cup World Group II playoffs in Lagos this weekend,ABIODUN ADEWALEfeatures the athletes who will bear the country’s expectations at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Court

Daniel Adeleye

At 19 years old, Adeleye is Nigeria’s highest-ranked player and is quickly becoming a key figure in the national team. He represented his country in the Group III Africa round-robin in August 2025, securing two singles victories and partnering effectively with Christopher Bulus and Michael Emmanuel to achieve two more doubles wins during the event held in Harare, Zimbabwe. Since his debut in 2024, he has accumulated two singles wins and four doubles wins in Davis Cup competition.

Canice Abua

A 21-year-old player will aim to continue progressing after gaining experience at the Davis Cup in Zimbabwe last year. In the Group III matches, he teamed up with Michael Emmanuel for his sole victory, a doubles win over Senegal. However, the duo also lost 6-1, 6-4 to Senegal, and Abua faced another doubles loss of 6-0, 6-3 against South Africa when playing with Adeleye.

Michael Emmanuel

Champion of the 2025 CBN Open, Emmanuel is an emerging star in Nigeria’s squad competing in the World Group II playoffs against Uzbekistan. Following his debut at the Davis Cup in Abuja in 2024, the athlete earned additional caps in the 2025 tournament. He has secured four out of five singles matches and has two wins and two losses in doubles. Three of his singles triumphs occurred in Abuja in 2024, where he demonstrated his strength against Ghana’s Isaac Nortey (6-3, 6-2), Benin Republic’s Sylvestre Monnou (6-4, 5-7, 7-5) and Ivory Coast’s Francky Hoimain (6-1, 6-3). The 21-year-old is ambidextrous but favors his right hand.

Abubakar Yusuf

The 20-year-old Yusuf is making his Davis Cup debut, after previously playing for Nigeria at the Africa Games in Ghana. When talking about his tennis style, Abubakar lists his strengths as: “My strengths are my forehand and ability to cover the court.”

Uchenna Oparaoji

A 28-year-old Oparaoji is among the most seasoned athletes in the Nigerian squad, having participated in 10 Davis Cup events from 2023 to 2024. In these 10 games, he has secured three singles and three doubles victories. Oparaoji, also referred to as “Lefty,” was once the top-ranked player in Nigeria and led the Davis Cup team during the qualifiers held in Kigali, Rwanda, in 2023. Although his prior experience has been in the Group III and Group IV round-robin stages, his return to the team is anticipated to boost Nigeria’s advancement.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.Syndigate.info).