Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress have advanced to the final of the ongoing FIBA U-18 Afrobasket after beating Uganda 71-67 in their semifinal matchup in Pretoria, South Africa on Friday. They will now face defending champions Mali in the final.
The defining win over Uganda also means they have booked one of the automatic qualifying tickets for the 2025 FIBA U-18 Women’s World Cup in Switzerland.
The win for the Junior D’Tigress is a sweet revenge for their final Group D loss to the East Africans a loss that saw them finish third in the group and qualifying as one of the two best third-place finishers.
It was an end-to-end game but the Nigerian girls kept their cool outscoring Uganda 21-20, 24-19, and 16-15.
Idubamo Beggi, Nigeria’s standout player and a top MVP contender, delivered a stellar performance, leading his team to victory with 23 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. His efficiency rating of 29 was unmatched. Resty Nanangwe led Uganda’s scoring with a double-double, contributing 16 points and 12 rebounds. Namyalo and Namayanja added 13 points each in the losing effort.
Uganda’s chances were hindered by their poor free-throw shooting (55% compared to Nigeria’s 76%) and turnovers (17 compared to Nigeria’s 24).
Also read: Chukwueze to battle Okafor, Pulisic for AC Milan starting 11
Defending champions Mali remained undefeated throughout the tournament, securing their fifth win. They showcased their dominance in the semifinals, defeating Cameroon by a wide margin of 103-45. Mama Sidiki Doumbia and Oummou Koumare each scored 24 points to lead Mali’s offensive attack.
