Defending champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigress will meet their quarter-final opponents today as Cameroon faces Angola in the playoff round.
The Nigerian team secured their place in the quarter-finals after achieving their second consecutive victory in the tournament, defeating Mozambique on Monday. The result secured them an automatic spot in the last eight as they topped their group.
Meanwhile, the African champions, who believe they have not yet reached their peak performance in the tournament, returned to training on Tuesday under the watchful eye of Coach Rene Wakama, focusing on their shooting and defensive strategies.
Ahead of the quarter-final on Thursday against either Angola or Cameroon, the players have been further motivated by the news of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s generous gestures towards the victorious Super Falcons, who were awarded cash, houses, and national honours.
Team captain Amy Okonkwo expressed that the reception the women’s football team received from the nation and the government serves as a significant motivation for them to also return home as African champions.
“We were in the locker room after our game against Mozambique when we heard about the President’s announcement for our sisters, the Super Falcons. It shows how much sport is now being taken seriously in the country from the highest level,” Okonkwo stated.
“I would like to thank the President for this display of love and commitment to the country’s sports. We can also see that the leadership of sports in the country, the National Sports Commission (NSC), is now prioritising the welfare of Nigerian athletes,” she added in a statement by Kola Daniel, Special Adviser to the Director-General of the NSC.
Regarding their upcoming match against either Cameroon or Angola, Okonkwo acknowledged that neither team would be easy to overcome, and the players are focused on elevating their game as the competition intensifies.
“Afrobasket is becoming increasingly challenging, and the quality of competition is improving each year. We must be prepared because every team now wants to defeat Nigeria. We are fully aware of this, which is why we remain focused on our mission and the challenges that lie ahead.”
The host country Côte d’Ivoire, along with Mali, Uganda, and defending champions Nigeria, are the four top teams with automatic qualification for the quarter-finals of this year’s Afrobasket.
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