By Ohuakanwa Chibuzo
After a disappointing 70-57 loss to Egypt in their Group B opener, Nigeria revived their hopes at the 2024 FIBA U-18 AfroBasket Championships with a hard-fought 70-65 win against Angola. The game, held at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday night, saw Nigeria mount a stunning comeback to secure their first victory in the tournament.
Trailing by 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter, the six-time champions turned the tide with a strong performance, making it one of the most thrilling games of the competition so far.
Isaac Ezekiel led the Nigerian side with 21 points and six rebounds, while team captain Azeez Sulaimon delivered a stellar performance, contributing 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and an impressive 10 steals. Angola’s top scorer was Mateus Abraem with 14 points, supported by team captain Aginaldo Neto’s 12 points. David Youdela and Josema Cesar chipped in with 11 points each for Angola.
The win keeps Nigeria’s hopes of advancing to the next round alive, following their earlier loss to Egypt. Nigeria capitalized on Angola’s mistakes, scoring 13 points off turnovers and dominating the paint with 14 points.
Sulaimon’s nine points in the first half helped Nigeria close with a 32-24 lead, but Angola fought back, taking a 49-42 advantage in the third quarter. However, Nigeria clawed its way back with key three-pointers from Ezekiel, eventually overcoming Angola’s lead with a 14-point scoring run.
In the other Group B match, Egypt maintained their dominance with a commanding 73-50 victory over Uganda, improving their record to 2-0. Omar Aly led Egypt with 15 points, followed by Ali Assran with 11 points and Mohamed Shahin with 10.
Nigeria, currently second in the group behind Egypt, will face Uganda in their next game on Tuesday, September 10, at the University of Pretoria’s Rembrandt Hall. The West African team is aiming to continue their push for a spot in the knockout rounds, as they seek to add to their record seven gold medals in the tournament. Egypt, the second-most successful team, has won six golds, while Angola has claimed four titles.
