Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigers are set to face Angola on Saturday in their second game of the 2024 FIBA U-18 AfroBasket in Pretoria, South Africa.
The Nigerian team, still reeling from being initially denied visas by the South African Consulate in Abuja and dealing with jetlag, fell 70-57 to defending champions Egypt in their Group B opener on Thursday morning.
Despite the challenges, Junior D’Tigers made Egypt work hard for their win, finishing the first quarter ahead 17-14, with standout plays from Favour Ibe and David Ike, who delivered impressive dunks. Nigeria also dominated the fastbreak, outscoring Egypt 7-0 in that quarter.
Egypt eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure the victory at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall. Mohammed Hussin led all scorers with 21 points for Egypt, supported by Omar Mowafak with 15 points. Azeez Sulaimon was Nigeria’s top scorer with 14 points.
Although the teams are tied in titles won (6 each), Nigeria showed resilience despite their late arrival. Egypt’s three-point shooting was crucial, with 21 of their points coming from beyond the arc.
At halftime, Egypt led 37-32, with Hussin scoring 11 points. Nigeria started the third quarter strong with a 6-0 run to take the lead, but Hussin’s three-pointer cooled their momentum. Another three-pointer from Hussin extended Egypt’s lead to 45-41, and despite a tight contest, Egypt entered the final quarter ahead 52-48.
In the fourth quarter, Egypt took control, with Hussin hitting a mid-range shot and Omar Aly scoring a fastbreak dunk, which earned him a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Egypt then expanded their lead to 10 points, ultimately winning by 13. “I had a good game. It was also a great win for my team. It sets us up well for the rest of the tournament,” said Mohammed Hussin.
Historically, Nigeria leads Angola 2-1 in head-to-head matchups and enters Saturday’s game as the favorites. In previous encounters, Angola defeated Nigeria 71-65 in the 2008 semifinals, but Nigeria prevailed 51-44 in the preliminary round and won 64-48 at the 2006 edition.
