SPORTS
D’Tigers Lose to Cote d’Ivoire, Fail to Gain Automatic AfroBasket Quarter-Final Ticket
D’Tigers on Sunday lost 68-77 to group leaders Cote d’Ivoire to finish second and fail to secure Group C’s automatic quarter-final ticket at the ongoing 2021 FIBA AfroBasket in Rwanda.
They however have a second chance of qualification for the quarter-finals, with their final group position earning them a quarter-final qualifying fixture on Tuesday.
In their final group phase match, played at the City Arena in Kigali, the Nigerian senior men’s national team failed to raise their game and lost in three of the fixture’s four quarters.
With Cote d’Ivoire having won their first two games, just like Nigeria, and holding on tight to the group’s top spot, D’Tigers were aware only a win was needed.
It would earn them top-place finish and an automatic qualification to the quarter-finals which will begin on Wednesday.
D’Tigers defeated the Ivorians 83-66 on Sept. 6 of 2019 when they last met, in the classification round of the FIBA World Cup, but this counted for nothing on Sunday.
With Nigeria now parading a different set of players in Kigali, and not even the team which impressed at the Tokyo Olympics, D’Tigers have been largely unimpressive.
They lost the first quarter 11-20, won the second 23-19, and then failed to sustain the momentum by losing the last two quarters 13-15 and 21-23.
Benjamin Emelogu was again the team’s top performer, with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals, while Ikenna Ndugba also had six assists and two steals.
D’Tigers had earlier beaten Mali 81-73 and Kenya 71-55, and they have now finished second in their group with five points from three matches.
Earlier in the day at the same venue, Kenya had beaten Mali 72-66 to finish third in the group.
Cote d’Ivoire advance to the quarter-finals automatically, while group runners-up Nigeria will face Group D’s third-placed team which could be Uganda.
Group D’s second-placed side, South Sudan, are already ahead of Uganda in their final group phase game.
If they hold on to second-place, they will then face Kenya in the final quarter-final qualifier on Tuesday.(NAN)
OLAL
Following are the results of Match Day 1 fixtures in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), played on Sunday and dates of the remaining fixtures:
Akwa United FC 1-1 Abia Warriors FC
Bayelsa United FC 1-1 Kano Pillars FC
Katsina United FC 1-1 Bendel Insurance FC
Niger Tornadoes FC 0-0 Nasarawa United FC
Shooting Stars FC 1-1 Plateau United FC
El Kanemi Warriors Vs Kwara United FC (postponed )
The following Match Day two fixtures
Would be played on Sept.
25:Ikorodu City FC Vs Enugu Rangers international FC
Enyimba international FC Vs Lobi stars FC .
(NAN)
Following are the results of remaining Match Day one fixtures played on Sunday in the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL)Heartland FC 1-3 Enyimba international FCKwara United FC 1-2 Niger Tornadoes FCBendel Insurance FC 0-0 Rivers United FCPlateau United FC 1-0 Katsina United FCKano Pillars FC 3-0 Ikorodu City FCSunshine Stars FC 3-0 Bayelsa United FCAbia Warriors FC 0-2 Remo Stars FCNasarawa United FC 1-1 Shooting Stars FC.
(NAN)
The interim coach of the Super Eagles, Augustine Eguavoen, said his team can beat any team with the quality of players in the team.
Eguavoen stated this after his team spanked the Cheetahs of Benin Republic 4-0 in the 2025 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) at the Godswill Akpabio stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom on Saturday.
“We have quality players to beat any team but we respect team anyway.
Any coach can come in and do the same job with the Super Eagles.“It is a mindset, we have the potential and how you perceived your opponent, given the information about them and then go out and do the job,“he said.
Equavoen attributed the victory to the formation adopted by the technical crew, adding that any formation could be used to ensure that the team was successful.
“We can decide to use any system. It is something we discussed and I slept over it. I know with the caliber of players that we have, we can decide to play any formation.
“Football is about you win, lose and draw, I don’t believe we have a poor result,” he said.
He, however, said that the former Super Eagles coach didn’t do a good job but it has to do with believe, what is at stake and what you want to achieve.
“Psychologically as a group, we are agreed, where we are and where we are going to be. We will definitely achieve it,” Equavoen said.
He commended the performance of the defence , describing it as superb, adding that the team had been training together for one week.
The coach said that asking six players to warm up for the second half was to buy time, adding that there was no need to rush to change.
He said the Cheetahs of Benin Republic were a good team, adding that they came with a good game plan.
Report says that Eguavoen was appointed interim coach after the deal between the Nigeria Football Federation(NFF) and coach Bruno Labbadia failed.
NFF explained in a statement that it failed due to the stringent regulations of German tax authorities.(NAN)
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