Nigeria achieves a historic feat by reaching the quarterfinals of women’s basketball at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, a first for Africa.
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team achieved a monumental feat by becoming the first African team, male or female, to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games. By beating Canada 79-70, the D’Tigress wrote their call in African history. and world sport.
The road to this achievement was paved with impressive victories. The Nigerians first defeated Australia, one of the star groups of the tournament, before triumphing against Canada, ranked fifth in the FIBA world ranking. This functionality demonstrates not only their talent, but also their determination and fighting spirit.
Under the guidance of their young coach Rena Wakama, 32, the team has shown versatility and cohesion. Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah showed all her talent, while Elizabeth Balogun shone with her precision. The formidable score of Ezinne Kalu, who scored 21 points in the decider against Canada, and the presence of Promise Amukamara, were also key elements of their success.
The D’Tigress are happy with this historic final quarter. They arrive at the finals with clear ambitions to win a medal. Their exceptional functionality gives them confidence and puts them in the groups to watch in this tournament.
Nigeria’s feat is an isolated event. South Sudan also showed promising game point, coming within striking distance of qualifying for the men’s quarter-finals. These performances testify to a renaissance of African basketball on the overseas scene.
With their qualification for the quarterfinals, the D’Tigres are now waiting to know their opponents. The others already qualified are the United States, Spain, Serbia, France and Germany. The draw for the quarter-finals will be decided after the last meeting between Australia and France.