By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s senior national men’s basketball team, D’Tigers’ chances of qualifying for the 2023 FIBA World Cup further shrinked after the team lost the second game of the fourth window of the second round decided in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to arch rivals Angola 67-70.
In a keenly contested battle, the Chimezie Metu-inspired side fought back from the first quarter which they lost 16-18 to pick the second at 13-9.
They again lost the third quarter 16-23 but came back to win the fourth at 22-20.
After losing the first game 66-78 to host Cote d’Ivoire on Friday, D’Tigers returned to win the second game on Saturday against Guinea 89-70.
A win against Guinea had boosted the team’s chances of picking one of the five tickets set aside for African teams at the 2023 World Cup taking place from August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia and in the Philippines but Sunday’s defeat to Angola meant Nigeria will struggle to qualify for the World Cup.
Ivory Coast lead Group E with a superior 12 points, same points with Angola after beating Nigeria on Sunday.
Cape Verde occupy third place and Nigeria fourth with 10 points each.
At the end of the additional six games per team in this second round, the two top teams in each group, along with the best third-placed team, will qualify to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
D’Tigers are now fourth in group E, trailing Cote d’Ivoire, Angola and Cape Verde but ahead of Uganda and Guinea.
The qualification process follows the FIBA competition system successfully used for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.
Heritage Times HT reports that the fifth and final window from which five teams will qualify to represent Africa at the World Cup will hold between February 20 and 28, 2023.
