Nigeria’s Under-18 boys’ basketball team, the Junior D’Tigers, faced a setback in their opening match against Egypt, suffering a 70-57 defeat during the ongoing Afrobasket U18 competition in Pretoria, South Africa, on Wednesday night.
The Nigerian squad initially took the lead, finishing the first quarter ahead 17-14. However, Egypt regained momentum in the second quarter, closing the half with a 37-32 advantage.
Despite a strong effort to narrow the score to 52-48 by the end of the third quarter, fatigue became evident in the final stretch, impacting the team’s performance.
The Junior D’Tigers arrived in South Africa on Wednesday morning after a prolonged delay in Abuja due to visa issues with the South African High Commission. Thanks to the intervention of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the International Basketball Federation, the team received their visas just in time.
This visa situation sparked significant discussions among concerned Nigerians on social media.
The team departed Abuja on Tuesday and subsequently joined the girls’ team in Pretoria, who also lost their opening game to Egypt.
Looking ahead, the Junior D’Tigers are set to face Angola on Saturday, September 7, 2024.
