Unranked Nigeria will tip off their Group C campaign in the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket Championship against the 20th-ranked Egyptian team on Monday in South Africa.
As the reigning FIBA Africa Zone 3 champions, Nigeria will aim to upset Egypt, leveraging their strong performance in the zonal qualifiers.
Egypt, making their eighth appearance in the tournament, is determined to reach the final and secure a spot in the FIBA U19 World Cup. In contrast, Nigeria is participating for only the third time, with hopes of clinching their first title.
Nigeria’s head coach, Juliana Akhere, a former national team point guard, expressed confidence in her team’s readiness to face Egypt. “We’re taking every game as it comes,” she said when asked about her team’s preparedness.
Following their match against Egypt, Nigeria will face Zimbabwe on Thursday and conclude the group stage against Uganda on Sunday morning. In their previous appearances, Nigeria finished fourth in 2008 and won a silver medal in 2010.
The U18 Women’s AfroBasket 2024 will be held at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Mali, the reigning champions with eight titles, remains the team to beat as they aim for a place in the final and a ticket to the prestigious FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2025 in Czechia.
The tournament features 12 teams divided into three groups (A, B, and C) of four teams each. The top two teams in each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stages. Five teams, including the hosts, are making their debut in the competition. The debutants include Cameroon, Morocco, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, who received wild card invitations from FIBA Africa.