Nigeria’s record-equaling 7th win bid still on course as FIFA says 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket not cancelled
Nigeria U18 basketball team will still have the chance to make their 12th appearance and record their record-equaling seventh win of the U18 AfroBasket is still on course after FIBA Africa announced that the tournament has not been cancelled as rumoured on social media.
‘Following unfounded reports suggesting the cancelation of the 2024 FIBA U18 AfroBasket tournaments scheduled to take place in Pretoria, from September 1-14, FIBA can reassure the press and stakeholders that both competitions will be held as initially planned.
We remind you that any information not emanating from FIBA’s official websites and pages should not be taken into consideration,’ FIBA Africa said in a statement on Thursday in Cote d’Ivoire.
Nigeria will be one of the 12 nations that have qualified for the tournament after the junior Tigers outclassed their opponents in the Zone 3 qualifier held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire to return to the showpiece for the first time since 2010 when the West African country finished ninth in the 11-nation competition.
This will be Nigeria’s 12th in a tournament they will be aiming to equal Egypt’s 7 titles for most wins.
Reigning champions Egypt, hosts South Africa, Angola and Mali, all have qualified automatically to the 12-nation showpiece. The seven eight teams that will descend to Pretoria, include Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon, Uganda, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire and Rwanda.
According to FIBA Africa, the teams that finish first and second in the competiton will earn the right to represent Africa at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup to be held in the Swiss city of Lausanne from June 28, 2025.
