Nigeria’s D’Tigers picked Africa’s sole ticket to Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after beating host nation, China 86-73 in their final 2019 FIBA World Cup classification game in Guanzghou on Sunday, reports Completesports.com.
Alex Nwora’s men grinded out their third win at the 2019 FIBA World Cup in a difficult way, silencing the vociferous home fans that dominated the sellout crowd inside the Guanzghou Gymnasium.
Nwora named an unchanged line-up from the side that defeated Ivory Coast in the previous game with Ben Uzoh, Ike Diogu, Ekpe Udoh, Josh Okogie and Aminu Al-Farouq all starting.
Josh Okogie emerged the best performer for D’Tigers. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard scores 19 points. He also recorded five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
D’Tigers trailed after the first quarter going behind 21-19. However, the Alex Nwora’s men fought harder and the remaining three quarters; 16 – 10 (2nd Q), 25 -20 (3rd Q) and 26 -22 (4th Q)
D’Tigers led 35-31 at the end of the first half with Udoh and Farouq proving their class.
The competitive nature of the game continued in the second half of game, but the Nigerians were top of the tight competition.
D’Tigers recorded the biggest lead of the game – a 13 point difference. China’s biggest lead over Nigeria was seven.
Nigeria’s biggest scoring run was 75-63, against China’s 17-10.
China 73 – 86 Nigeria
In the end, D’Tiger’s prevailed 86-73 and will now feature at the 2020 Olympic Games after finishing tops in the Classidication Group M of the 2019 FIBA World Cup on eight points.
China finished second behind Nigeria on seven points. South Korea finished third on six points while Cote d’Ivoire (5 points) brought up the rear w
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
Thank God for the sweet Victory over the host nation, and our qualification to the nex year Olympic game.
So proud of this guys,the innovation is here.There was a time China used to take us to the cleaners,but as it stands only few Countries in the world can beat us.congratulations guys .
Basketball in this country is quietly becoming a popular sport in Nigeria. Whatever kida n his administration re doing shd continue bcos we re heading 2 a zone of no return.
Great work by these amazing basketballers,,a big big congratulations and trusting you guys to do marvelously well at the Olympics. Nigeria truly a bless country. Problem of Nigeria has nothing to do with north, south, west, or east but greed powered by politics from the Western world n promoted through the greedy amongst us. Promoting the right value of contentment/ sound selfless reasoning will take Nigeria as a unit to the promise land. God bless our great basketballers n God bless Nigeria.
SO proud of D’tigers, we are definitely moving in a positive direction. Soonest we will be ruffling feathers with the powerhouses-US, Spain France and the rest.
Only if the sport ministry would allocate half of the resources given to football,sports in Nigeria would have been a credible money spinner for the economy.
@Glory, you are very correct.We just need to put corruption and greed aside in all that we do in this country.We can be as great, even greater than America in every sphere of life if we always do the right things.
Great guys . If not for reliance on experience in our first two games I can bet we would be playing in the semis at the least. Injection of new names shows nig is stupendously blessed with refined talents,u may note I did not say raw talents but refined for this bunch of D,tigers are ready made materials wch will sooner than later beat the US team to formally announce there greatness if well prepared for the Tokyo Olympics. Watching all there games “live” makes me appreciate the level of there committment in taking nig basketball to an height far beyond imagination.My advice to all is to give more time to support them;Dtigress and Dtiger, sincerely they are more enjoyable to watch this days than the football teams.they have been given me nice times for the past two months, brightening my days with exciting congratulations naija
I totally concur with you.
We got lots of refined talent in the basketball field cut across the US, Puerto Rico and in Europe.
We just need to focus.and more so, lots of potential coming in from the local based.
We taking basketball like the storm took the night.
Kida and his board are doing a great job.