Defending champions Nigeria kicked off their 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket campaign with an impressive victory, defeating DR Congo 69-35 in the tournament opener.
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The Nigerian team displayed their prowess, maintaining control of the match from the beginning and limiting the Congolese offensive efforts in the first and second quarters.
Key players for Nigeria’s debut in the Rwandan AfroBasket were Sarah Ogoke, Elizabeth Balogun, and Ifunya Okoro, who played pivotal roles for the D’Tigresses.
Having never secured a win against Nigeria in their previous six encounters, the DRC struggled to find their footing. The turning point came midway through the first quarter when the DRC’s offense stalled for almost ten minutes, allowing the defending champions to surge ahead with a score of 22-8.
Nigeria executed their game plan flawlessly, extending their lead to 29-18 at halftime and further widening the gap to 18 points in the third quarter with 1 minute and 24 seconds remaining.
Although the DRC briefly rallied, narrowing the margin to 14 points (44-30), they could not sustain the momentum and found themselves entangled in front of the Nigerian basket.
Statistics revealed Nigeria’s dominance, capitalizing on Congolese turnovers and scoring 27 points compared to the DRC’s 7 points. The Nigerian bench played a significant role, contributing 36 points to the team’s success.
Three-time African champion Sarah Ogoke demonstrated her leadership and skill on the court, acting as a coach on the floor and guiding her team to victory with 10 points and 6 rebounds off the bench.
Elizabeth Balogun and Ifunaya Okoro also made significant contributions with 11 points each.
Gracia Nguz was the standout player for the DRC, scoring 12 points, but it was not enough to overcome Nigeria’s cohesive performance.
Reflecting on the match, Sarah Ogoke, the team captain of Nigeria, expressed satisfaction with the young team’s first win and emphasized their continuous improvement throughout the tournament.
Despite a challenging physical game from DR Congo, Nigeria was resilient and focused on their upcoming match against Egypt.
Ginette Mfutila, the captain of DRC, acknowledged the areas that need improvement and highlighted the relative youth and inexperience of the team. She emphasized the need to learn from mistakes and rectify them for future matches.
Nigeria enters the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket with the determination to defend their title, aiming to secure a fourth consecutive championship in Kigali.
Captain Sarah Ogoke commented, “We’ll continue to improve throughout the tournament. We have to give credit to DR Congo. They played well, but we were able to handle the pressure. Now, we’ll focus on our next game against Egypt.”
Ginette Mfutila, the DRC captain, acknowledged the tough challenge against Nigeria and their young team’s learning experience, saying, “We’re going to learn from our mistakes and put things right.”
