FIBA World Cup: DTigers beat Cote d'Ivoire, as teams jostle for two remaining slots on Saturday
The victory gives Nigeria a slight ray of hope of qualifying for the World Cup as the team is condemned to win their next two games starting today ( Saturday) against Guinea by 3 pm.
By Olusola Adebayo
Nigeria's male Basketball team, D'Tigers kept the hope of making it to the 2023 FIBA World Cup alive when they defeated Cote d’Ivoire on Friday at the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers in Angola.
The match which was played at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda saw the Nigerian side defeat their arch-rivals by 16-15, 14-19, 23-14, and 19-15 points, winning the tie 72-63.
The victory gives Nigeria a slight ray of hope of qualifying for the World Cup as the team is condemned to win their next two games starting today ( Saturday) against Guinea by 3 pm.
The Ogor Odaodu mainly home-based squad is presently Cote d'Ivoire, Angola, and Cape on the six-team log which makes their qualification hanging on a knife edge.
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With Cote d'Ivoire guaranteed a spot at the World Cup and a win for Angola against Cape Verde on Saturday will secure their place at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the D'Tigers will be relying on results elsewhere to go in their favor.
The only realistic position left for the D'Tigers is the best third finish as the first two places in the group are just out of their reach.
The scrabbles for the sole ticket may go to the wire among Nigeria, Cape Verde, Senegal, and Tunisia are other contenders for third-best finishing in Group G as South Sudan and Egypt have secured the first two tickets in the group.
Five African teams are billed to feature in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 scheduled to take place from August 25 to September 10, 2023, in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
