Nigeria’s Under-18 Men’s Basketball team, the J’Tigers, were eliminated from the 2024 Afrobasket U-18 Championship after a tough 81-70 loss to Mali in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.
Mali set the tone early, winning the first quarter 23-19, and led 40-38 by halftime. Despite multiple efforts by the J’Tigers to shift momentum, Mali maintained control and secured the win in Pretoria, South Africa.
Earlier in the tournament, the Junior D’Tigers defeated Uganda 72-61 on Tuesday, while Mali overcame Ivory Coast 73-69. The teams that reach the finals will earn a spot in the FIBA World Championship, scheduled in Switzerland.
In a brighter development, Nigeria’s Under-18 Women’s team, the J’Tigress, advanced to the semifinals on Wednesday after a 61-56 victory over Egypt in their quarterfinal matchup. They will face Uganda in the semifinals on Friday night (today).
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s Under-18 Men’s team also exited the tournament following a surprise 53-67 defeat to Cameroon in their quarterfinal match, held at the University of Pretoria Gymnasium on Thursday. Although Rwanda started strong, winning the first quarter 16-14, Cameroon responded by taking the second quarter 22-16, leading 36-32 at halftime. Rwanda briefly regained control in the third quarter, but Cameroon’s dominant 16-4 performance in the final quarter sealed their fate.
Cameroon’s Amadou Seini led the charge with 15 points and 23 rebounds, while Hermann Bel Daryl Bay added another 15 points. Rwanda’s top scorers include Dylan Kayijuka with 19 points and Sean Mwesigwa with 12 points. Despite their exit, Rwanda will still compete in classification games to determine the 5th to 8th positions.
