Nigeria’s Under-18 Men’s Basketball squad, the J’Tigers, has been eliminated from the 2024 Afrobasket U-18 Championship after a 81-70 defeat to Mali in the quarterfinals on Thursday night. The Malians dominated from the start, securing a 23-19 lead in the first quarter and maintaining it at 40-38 by halftime. Despite the J’Tigers’ efforts, Mali emerged victorious in the game held in Pretoria, South Africa. In earlier matches, Junior D’Tigers triumphed over Uganda 72-61 to advance to this stage, while Mali secured a 73-69 victory against Ivory Coast.
The teams that come out on top and finish as runners-up in the championship will secure spots in the FIBA World Championship in Switzerland. On another note, the J’Tigress advanced to the semi-finals by defeating Egypt 61-56 in the quarterfinals. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, this outcome sets up a semi-final clash against Uganda on Friday night for the Nigerian women’s team.
Rwanda had a tough loss against Cameroon in the quarterfinals, with Cameroon dominating the last quarter to secure their spot in the semifinals. Despite Rwanda’s efforts, Cameroon’s Amadou Seini and Hermann Bel Daryl Bay played a significant role in their victory. It’s impressive to see the determination and skill on the court. Rwanda will now have to compete in a classification game for the 5th to 8th positions.
