In a groundbreaking achievement for Nigerian basketball, both the boys and girls teams have secured spots in the quarter-finals of the African U18 basketball championship currently held in South Africa.
This marks a significant moment for Nigeria in the Afrobasket U18 event, a qualifying platform for the FIBA Junior World Cup in Switzerland. It is the first instance where two Nigerian teams have advanced to the quarter-finals at this level.
The girls team secured their quarter-final place as one of the third-best teams in their group. They are set to compete against Egypt in Pretoria. Despite losing their initial game to Egypt, the team has another opportunity to showcase their skills. The players are expected to perform better physically after recovering from a flu outbreak before their last group match against Uganda.
As for the boys team, their opponents for the quarter-finals were yet to be confirmed at the time of reporting.
Ugo Udezue, a former D’Tigers power forward and current Nigeria Basketball Federation member, expressed delight at the progress made by the teams. He commended the players for overcoming challenges and praised their resilience.
The boys’ team faced visa issues from the South African Embassy in Abuja, arriving late in Pretoria. Not receiving financial backing from the Ministry of Sports Development, they relied on private donations to compete.
Two teams will represent Africa in the upcoming FIBA U18 World Cup in Switzerland.