Joe
Pretoria, South Africa – In a challenging start to the Afrobasket U18 competition, Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigers were defeated by Egypt 70-57 in their opening match on Wednesday night PeakNews Online reports.
The team, which arrived in South Africa just hours before the game, struggled to overcome fatigue from their delayed journey.
The Nigerian boys initially showed promise, taking a 17-14 lead in the first quarter. However, Egypt responded by winning the second quarter, going into halftime with a 37-32 advantage. The Junior D’Tigers kept the game close, reducing the deficit to 52-48 by the end of the third quarter. Unfortunately, fatigue from their lack of rest caught up with them in the final quarter, allowing Egypt to secure the victory.
The Nigerian team’s arrival in South Africa was delayed after the South African High Commission in Abuja denied their initial visa applications. It wasn’t until the intervention of Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and FIBA that the situation was resolved, allowing the team to depart for Pretoria on Tuesday.
The Nigerian girls’ team, also competing in the Afrobasket U18, similarly lost their opening game to Egypt. The boys will next face Angola on Saturday as they seek to bounce back from their disappointing start.
