August 16, (THEWILL) – Nigerian men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, failed to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics after losing 77-68 to Mali in their second group game on Tuesday.
This defeat came after an opening 93-87 loss to Senegal, knocking Nigeria out of the Olympic pre-qualifying tournament they are hosting in Lagos. D’Tigers started strongly against Mali, leading 17-15 after the first quarter and 43-38 at halftime. Daniel Utomi scored consistently in the third quarter as Nigeria extended their advantage to 56-48.
However, the team collapsed in the fourth quarter, failing to score in the opening six minutes as Mali went on a 16-0 scoring run. Nigeria attempted 20 shots in the final quarter but only made 2 as Mali’s field goal percentage soared to 80%. UC Iroegbu was the D’Tigers top scorer with 26 points followed by Utomi’s 16, but Mali had four players in double figures to claim the win.
The loss ended Nigeria’s hopes of competing in Paris in 2024. As hosts of the qualifying event, expectations were high for the D’Tigers to perform well and qualify. However, sloppy play and an inability to hold a lead cost them dearly against Mali.
Nigeria has a strong basketball tradition, having won previous Afrobasket tournaments. The team will be disappointed at missing out on the world’s biggest sporting event and will look to bounce back in future competitions. The defeat concludes a frustrating qualifying campaign for Nigeria. Senegal and Mali now progress to the next round of Olympic pre-qualifying for the Paris Games.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
