World Cup qualifiers: D'Tigers seek redemption against Guinea and Angola
Nigeria's men's national basketball team, D'Tigers, are unhappy after suffering yet another loss on the first day of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
After losing each of their openers in the last three qualifying windows, the D'Tigers had high hopes of stopping the trend against the Ivory Coast on Friday night.
However, the Elephants, who were inspired by their talisman, Souleyman Diabate, proved too much for the D'Tigers to handle as they secured a 78-66 win over Nigeria.
The victory over Nigeria means Ivory Coast remain unblemished in the Qualifiers so far, while for the D'Tigers it has made their quest for qualification even more difficult.
But while lamenting the loss to Ivory Coast, the D'Tigers have collectively agreed to do better in their upcoming games against Guinea and Angola, to keep their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
READ ALSO:Nigeria goalkeeper Josh Okogie, one of the best against the Elephants, said the defeat eclipsed his record 23 points against the hosts.
“Scoring 23 points in this game for me is not what I came for. It's not personal for me, especially when my team lost. My goal in coming to Ivory Coast is to give my best to help Nigeria win.
"It didn't happen, but I will do my best to contribute more to Nigeria to improve in our other games," Okogie assured.
For Nigeria coach Mfon Udofia, who replaces Mike Brown, who was unable to join the D'Tigers at the last minute, the deficiencies noted against Ivory Coast would be corrected before the other two games against Guinea in Angola.
"Côte d'Ivoire are exceptional in these qualifiers at the moment and they were good tonight, but 21 turnovers from us really hurt us in the game. However, we will clean up a bit and improve our game, given that this particular unit is playing together for the first time,” he said.
D'Tigers will face Guinea later on Saturday, while on Sunday August 28, the team will face Angola.
The 2023 World Cup runs from August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, with five tickets up for grabs for African teams.
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Nigeria's men's national basketball team, D'Tigers, are unhappy after suffering yet another loss on the first day of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
After losing each of their openers in the last three qualifying windows, the D'Tigers had high hopes of stopping the trend against the Ivory Coast on Friday night.
However, the Elephants, who were inspired by their talisman, Souleyman Diabate, proved too much for the D'Tigers to handle as they secured a 78-66 win over Nigeria.
The victory over Nigeria means Ivory Coast remain unblemished in the Qualifiers so far, while for the D'Tigers it has made their quest for qualification even more difficult.
But while lamenting the loss to Ivory Coast, the D'Tigers have collectively agreed to do better in their upcoming games against Guinea and Angola, to keep their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup.
READ ALSO:Nigeria goalkeeper Josh Okogie, one of the best against the Elephants, said the defeat eclipsed his record 23 points against the hosts.
“Scoring 23 points in this game for me is not what I came for. It's not personal for me, especially when my team lost. My goal in coming to Ivory Coast is to give my best to help Nigeria win.
"It didn't happen, but I will do my best to contribute more to Nigeria to improve in our other games," Okogie assured.
For Nigeria coach Mfon Udofia, who replaces Mike Brown, who was unable to join the D'Tigers at the last minute, the deficiencies noted against Ivory Coast would be corrected before the other two games against Guinea in Angola.
"Côte d'Ivoire are exceptional in these qualifiers at the moment and they were good tonight, but 21 turnovers from us really hurt us in the game. However, we will clean up a bit and improve our game, given that this particular unit is playing together for the first time,” he said.
D'Tigers will face Guinea later on Saturday, while on Sunday August 28, the team will face Angola.
The 2023 World Cup runs from August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, with five tickets up for grabs for African teams.
Support the integrity and credibility journalism of PREMIUM TIMES Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy and a transparent government. For free and continued access to the best investigative journalism in the country, we ask that you consider providing modest support to this noble endeavour. By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you help sustain relevant journalism and keep it free and accessible to everyone.Donate
[embedded content]TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT: Call Willie - +2348098788999
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