Through the course of a fortnight, Nigeria’s J’Tigress joined their contemporaries in South Africa for the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket and the “Young Cats” did not just show up, they sparkled.
Grit, heart and unrivalled vibes both on and off the court was how J’Tigress signed their participation.
The team went from the brink of elimination in the group stages to earning a shot at the Championship, when they faced Mali – who were on a roll (5-0) – in Saturday’s final.
Mali Unsurmountable
Nothing about the final score suggests there could have been an alternate outcome, Mali dominated and was deserving of the victory – their 9th title and 5th in the last six editions of the competition.
Nigeria and Mali in the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket final match.
A 20 points blowout, in the 76-56 win settled that scrimmage; which appeared a concluded game by the 3rd quarter even if it was an 11-point game heading into the final 10 minutes.
Regardless, it surely was a proud moment for the Nigerian girls, as they walked away with a ticket to next year’s FIBA U19 World Cup in Czechia, as consolation.
It was a second final appearance for Nigeria and yet a runner up spot for J’Tigress after the Country’s last podium spot in 2010.
No doubt, Coaches Juliana Negedu and Tayelolu Adeniyi now have a bigger task on their hands to build a team that’s even more formidable.
Until July 2025, the NBBF should get them busy with player and opposition scouting, open camps, calibrating sequence plays and game strategies.
World here they come… Again!
Nigeria returns to the World stage, for only the second time in the competition’s 40-year history.
Nigeria U18 Basketball WNT Players celebrate with their Coaches after their semi-final victory at the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket.
Interesting fact! Back in 2011 when the team debuted, the girls closed out the campaign with a 0-5 record in Puerto Varas against Egypt, and had failed to score a single point through the entire tournament.
Now that’s history no one wants repeated.
