Nigeria’s U-18 Men’s Basketball team, the J’Tigers, exited the 2024 Afrobasket Championship after an 81-70 loss to Mali in the quarterfinals on Thursday night. The game, held in Pretoria, South Africa, saw the Malians take early control, leading 23-19 in the first quarter and 40-38 by halftime. Despite the J’Tigers’ efforts, Mali maintained their advantage to secure the win.
Earlier in the tournament, the J’Tigers had defeated Uganda 72-61 to reach the quarterfinals, while Mali overcame Ivory Coast 73-69.
In contrast, Nigeria’s U-18 Women’s team, the J’Tigress, advanced to the semifinals after a 61-56 victory over Egypt. They will face Uganda in the semifinals on Friday night.
In other matches, Rwanda’s U-18 men’s team was knocked out after a 67-53 loss to Cameroon. Rwanda started strong but were overpowered in the final quarter. They will now play for classification in the 5th to 8th positions.