J’Tigress seek maiden FIBA U-18 Afrobasket title in South Africa
Nigeria U-18 women basketball team, Junior Tigress will today Saturday, 14 September 2024 seek to win it’s maiden Afrobaket ball title when they confront defending champions, Mali in the final of the championship slated for Pretoria, South Africa.
Mali which will be seeking a record ninth title has been consistent since the beginning of the competition; winning all their five matches en route to the finals and are favourites for the title but they will meet a more resilient Nigerian side who after losing two Group phase matches embarked on a winning run in the knockout stages.
Mali is currently on a 15-1 winning streak in the U-18 Women’s AfroBasket.
Their last loss (68-63) in the competition happened in the 2020 final against hosts Egypt
Nigeria’s run has included two upsets against Egypt and Uganda in the quarters and semi- finals respectively, sides that Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu-led side had lost to in the Group Phase.
However, their march could easily be brought to a halt by a well-oiled Mali machine that has barely put a foot wrong and are favourites both statistically and in terms of experience.
In this campaign, Diakite Sory’s charges have averaged 94.6 points, more than 20 of what Nigeria have and that alone is enough to worry the 2010 silver medalists who are out to repeat their feat then, where they denied Mali a chance at the title with a 57-44 win in the semis.
In their quest, Nigeria will rely on leaders Idubamo Beggi and Abigail Isaac, the duo who have proven crucial in the team. The former leading the side’s scoring with a 19 points per game average and 5.6 assists while Isaac leads the side in rebounding with a 14.6 average. Momoluwa Ayomide Tewogbade is also expected to push their charge.
This is Nigeria’s final appearance since 2010
However, coach Diakite must full of confidence going into this game knowing that his team led by skipper Mama Sidiki Doumbia, Oummou Koumare and Oumou Dabo has been unstoppable. The 3 have averaged 20.8, 15.0 and 12.6 points per game, with Dabo leading on rebounding with an 11.2 average.
In his post match interview, coach Diakite says he is confident of a win while adding that the target is to improve on their performance on the global stage as they make their seventh appearance in the U-19 Women’s World Cup.
His opponent, Juliana Ojoshogu Negedu acknowledged how good Mali’s transition game was, saying they had scouted the opponent and would have a response despite going in against a more experienced side.
Irrespective of the outcome, both countries will represent the continent at next year’s FIBA U -19 Women World Cup.
