Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress will be aiming to avenge their opening-game defeat to Egypt when they meet again in the quarterfinals of the 2024 FIBA U-18 Women’s Afrobasket.
Having finished third in Group C, Nigeria advanced to the knockout stage as one of the two best third-placed teams, alongside host nation Rwanda. The rematch with the unbeaten Egyptians, a tournament favorite, is scheduled for Wednesday, with a semifinal spot on the line.
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In their first encounter, Egypt secured a 72-60 victory, but the Nigerian squad is determined to deliver a more energized performance this time. Egypt, averaging 90 points per game, is one of the highest-scoring teams, alongside defending champions Mali and Tunisia.
Key to Nigeria’s hopes is Idubamo Beggi, ranked the fourth-best scorer in the tournament. However, they’ll need to keep a close eye on Egypt’s top performers: Jude Alaaeldin, Khadiga Abouelghait, Fairouz Abdelghaffar, and Malak Elhemaly, who have been standout players throughout the competition.
Egypt finished as runners-up to Mali in the 2022 edition of the tournament.