Nigeria’s men’s basketball team will miss its first Olympics since 2008 after the D’Tigers’ struggles persisted at the ongoing Pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Lagos, as they suffered another loss, this time to Mali.
The tournament began on a sour note with a defeat against Senegal on Monday, and the trend continued against Mali. The Nigerian team held the upper hand in the first quarter, securing a 17-15 lead. Their dominance extended into the second quarter, resulting in a halftime score of 43-38.
Despite Mali’s revival in the third quarter, Nigeria managed to maintain their lead, winning 61-53. However, Mali’s determined performance in the final quarter turned the tide, leading them to a 77-66 victory.
According to D’Tigers on X (formerly known as Twitter), the reason for this poor performance is poor administration from the basketball leaders in the country.
With this outcome, Nigeria’s D’Tigers have been eliminated from the 2023 FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying tournament.