Basketball: Nigeria gets FIBA Africa’s wild card for AfroCan despite defeat in Abidjan

By Maxwell Kumoye

FIBA Africa has given Nigeria the last wild card slot for the second edition of AfroCan Basketball Championship scheduled to hold in Luanda the Angolan capital between the 8th and 16th of this month.

Nigeria had narrowly missed out of the automatic ticket to the Championship after the lost to host Cote D’Ivoire by 74-65 points in the combined FIBA Africa Zone 2 and 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan on Sunday night.

The final game of the Qualifiers was riddled with bad calls against Nigeria. On several occasions, the head coach of D’Tigers, Ogoh Odaudu had to confront the centre referee.

The first quarter ended 19-17 in favour of the host while at halftime it was 36-36 but the Ivorian opened a five points lead at the close of the third quarter 56-51 before sealing the game at 74-65 points.

For finishing second in the Qualifiers, FIBA gave the final wild card slot to Nigeria and the team will play in the same group with host Angola and West African powerhouse Mali.

Cote D’Ivoire are in the same group with Kenya and Gabon another country that secured FIBA Africa’s wild card.

Group A
✓ Cote D’Ivoire
✓ Kenya
✓ Gabon

Group B
✓ Angola
✓ Nigeria
✓ Mali

Group C
✓ Morocco
✓ Tunisia
✓ Rwanda

Group D
✓ Cameroon
✓ DR Congo
✓ Mozambique