NIGERIA MAKES HISTORY WITH FIRST-EVER WIN AT FIBA U19 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

By: Gyang Dakwo

Nigeria’s U19 women’s basketball team celebrated a historic and dramatic win on Saturday in Brno, Czech Republic as they beat China 93-88 in their first-ever FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup victory.

The thrilling match kept fans on the edge of their seats, but Nigeria held on to secure the win in the final moments. It was a big moment for the team, especially after some people had doubted they would even win a game in the tournament.

Leading the charge was Nora Ezike, who gave an outstanding performance in her debut for the national team. She scored 25 points without missing a single shot, going 8-for-8 from the field. She also grabbed 6 rebounds, made 4 assists, and had 2 steals.

Speaking after the match, Ezike said, “I am so excited as it is an honour to represent my country and it is so exciting to get this first win. The key to the game was sticking to what we had practised and what we said we were going to do. We never gave up.”

She also praised the team’s defense and teamwork, especially in the final minutes of the game. “We played good defense and kept supporting each other. At the end, when you are up, you have to slow the game down. We did not rush and we kept our composure,” she said.

Ezike also shared how she was inspired by D’Tigress, Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, who made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics by reaching the quarter-finals and becoming the first African team to win two games at the Games. “I went to Paris 2024 with my family and watched Nigeria’s games. It was really great to see how far they went,” she added.

Now, the team will look to build on this success and continue their journey at the World Cup. With this strong start, Nigeria has shown they are ready to surprise many and make more history.