Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, beat rivals Mali 73- 69 to qualify for this year’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup scheduled for Sydney, Australia.
Needing a victory in its last group B game in Serbia, D’Tigress dug deep to overcome Mali in a tense encounter. The victory means Nigeria will fly the flag for Africa at the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney.
Coasting with a 21-point lead, Nigeria almost self-destructed as Mali turned up the defensive pressure, dragging it back to a one-shot game inside the last minute. However, Nigeria managed to cling on and seal back-to-back appearances at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
“I think fatigue set in and only having one point guard made it tough against a team in survival mode,” Nigeria head coach Otis Hughley Jr. said.
“But our girls took the punch and we’re off to Sydney , we’re just happy about that.”
D’Tigress join host nation Australia, Serbia, France, China, and Korea in advancing to Sydney via the Serbian capital, while Mali reflect on an opportunity lost to make history and reach the main event for the first time.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sports, Sunday Dare, has congratulated the D’Tigress for picking a ticket to the FIBA Women’s World Cup.
The ladies, who are three-time Afrobasketball champions beat their Malian opponents 73-69 on Sunday to qualify as Africa’s sole representatives.
They had earlier beaten the highly rated, world number five, France 67-65, after losing their opening game to China.
Dare praised the queens of the court for doing the nation proud and showing dogged determination in all their games.
We are the QUEENS OF AFRICA!
If e easy, run am!! #FIBAWWC pic.twitter.com/GHDmos7V4q— #DTigress (@DtigressNG) February 13, 2022
