The Nigeria women Senior Basketball team are the toast of all basketball fans out there in France after securing a famous 75-65 win over Australia last Monday at the Paris 2024 Olympics Women Basketball event.
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They are set to give the host, France a run for their money later today by 4 pm.
The much fancied French side dispatched Canada on Monday 75- 54 to maintain the top position in the group and are the favourite going into this encounter but the D’Tigress can take inspiration from their spirited effort against Australia and as well the allures of two new records that will be set if they conjure another magic today can be a source great motivation for the team to go all out to secure another famous win against France today.
With two matches won at the Olympics, The D’Tigress are presently the most successful African Women Basketball side, as no other African country has managed to win any game in the event aside D’Tigress.
Another win later today will see them mark another historical milestone as the first African side to win back to games at the Olympics and the first to win two games at a single Olympics, and doing it back to back will be icing on the cake, since Women Basketball was added as an Olympic event in 1976.
The fact that a win against the French will qualify the team into the quarter final and continue their search Olympic medal is enough source of motivation for the ladies to go all the way.
Though the surprise victory against Australia sets them on the path of making it into a quarter final already , they needed at least another victory to be sure, and the prospect achieving it today is another motivation for them to all out for the victory and record another first on the continent as the first Africa side to qualify into the quarter finals.
The Rena Wakama led girls are self motivated, hungry and they are determined to make the best use of ability in getting the desired result.
They exhibited all these attributes against Australia and it will be a delight to see D’Tigress maintain the momentum against the slightly favoured host, France.
Though it seems like a wild dream anyways to think the Nigeria can upset their host in front of their home fans but going by the recent Head to Head between the two sides ,the two have faced each other three times, with France winning twice and Nigeria once, but Nigeria won last encounter between the two sides which came on another big stage in 2022, when they defeated France, recording a shocking 67-65 win in the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup clash.
The die is cast, and the D’Tigress have shown they have what it takes to aspire for another victory physically, mentally and technically.
Presently France tops group B in 2024 Paris Olympics Basketball on goal difference but all that may change in a few hours time at the
Lille’s Pierre Mauroy Stadium is at the top of the table clash as the winner may top the group stage .
But who blinks first as France are hoping to secure a fifth knockout round tickets at the Olympics while Nigeria is looking to make history as the first African team to punch a quarter final ticket at the Olympics in the 48 years history of the event as an Olympic event.
