The coach of Nigeria’s U-18 Women’s basketball team, Julie Negedu-Akere, has expressed satisfaction with her team’s performance at the recently concluded Women’s Afrobasket in South Africa, despite falling short in the final.

Nigeria lost to Mali 76-56 in the championship game but secured qualification for the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup.

Reflecting on the team’s journey, Negedu-Akere described the tournament as a positive experience.

“Considering the challenges we faced, especially our journey from Lagos to South Africa, the players gave a good account of themselves,” she said.

The coach also revealed that the team’s late arrival in South Africa due to visa issues had a significant impact on their performance.

“The visa challenge took a toll on the players, both physically and mentally. We faced a completely different weather condition upon arrival, and it affected the squad.”

Nigeria U18 Basketball WNT Players celebrate with their Coaches after their semi-final victory at the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket.

“We recovered physically and managed to beat Egypt and Uganda in the later stages, but by the third and last quarters of our games, fatigue was evident,” she added.

Despite these setbacks, Negedu-Akere emphasized the invaluable experience gained by her players. “The exposure these players received is priceless,” she said.

Next for the girls is the World Cup which will be held in the Czech Republic from July 12 to 20, 2025.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s U18 boys team, J’Tigers, were unable to secure a World Cup berth after losing to Mali in the semi-finals.