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Over the course of a fortnight, Nigeria’s J’Tigress joined their contemporaries in South Africa for the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket and the ‘Young Cats’ didn’t just show up, they shined.
Courage, heart and an unmatched vibe both on and off the court was what characterized J’Tigress and her participation.
The team went from the brink of elimination in the group stage to a chance at the Championship when they faced on-again, 5-0 Mali in Saturday’s final.
Nothing in the final result suggests there could have been an alternative outcome, Mali dominated and were deserving of victory: their ninth title and fifth in the last six editions of the competition.
Nigeria and Mali in the final of the FIBA Women’s Under-18 AfroBasket.
A 20-point rout in a 76-56 win settled that scrimmage, which looked like a done deal in the third quarter, even if it was an 11-point game heading into the final 10 minutes.
It was certainly a proud moment for the Nigerian girls, though, as they took home a ticket to next year’s FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Czech Republic as consolation.
It was Nigeria’s second appearance in the final and yet a second-place finish for J’Tigress after the country’s last podium finish in 2010.
Coaches Juliana Negedu and Tayelolu Adeniyi now undoubtedly have a bigger task on their hands in building a team that is even more formidable.
Until July 2025, the NBBF should keep them busy with player and opponent scouting, open camps, calibrating sequencing plays and game strategies.
Nigeria returns to the world stage for the second time in the competition’s 40-year history.
Nigeria’s U-18 basketball players celebrate with their coaches after their semi-final victory at the FIBA Women’s U-18 AfroBasket.
Fun fact: In 2011, when the team debuted, the girls finished the campaign with a 0-5 record in Puerto Varas against Egypt and had failed to score a single point in the entire tournament.
That is a story that no one wants to see repeated.
