Nigeria’s Under 18 team at the ongoing FIBA-Africa Women Championship in Cairo, Egypt have been charged to remain focused in their quest to win the championship and pick a ticket for the FIBA-World Championship.
In a chat with Basketball Timeout, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Tijani Umar, stated that the team have the qualities to go all the way and win the championship.
He charged the Aderemi ‘Owolo’ Adewunmi tutored side to remain focused and disciplined, adding that the victories they have recorded so far in the championship are indications that they can win the tourney.
Umar, however, called on Nigerians to continue to support the players with prayers, saying that the federation has done everything within its capacity to make the girls comfortable.
When Basketball Timeout spoke with the coach of the team, Adewunmi, on phone, he said they are taking each game one after the other.
Praising the girls for making the country proud, he noted that having beaten the defending champions, Mali, they can beat any team in the championship if they remain focused and disciplined.
He, however, said the championship has just begun and has urged the team to remain disciplined and not to be complacent in their subsequent matches, as the road to the final is still far.
“It’s not over until it’s over,” the coach said
The Ijeoma Frank Uchendu captained team are scheduled to confront DR Congo this afternoon in their last match in the group. They had earlier defeated Mozambique, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire in their previous matches to lead their group.