Nigeria’s D’Tigress will have to be at their best as they take on reigning champions the USA in today’s quarterfinal game at the FIBA Basketball Women World Cup in Tenerife, Spain.
While the US team finished top in group D to book a quarter-final place, Nigeria had to beat Greece 57-56 in a quarterfinal qualifier to a ticket. D’Tigress are definitely the underdogs in this game but with their performance so far at the championship, Nigerians are hopeful their darling team can upset the Americans.
The game, which will come up 11.30am Nigerian time, the Nigerian ladies will hope to make history in this mouth-watering encounter.
Team captain, Adaora Elonu, who is a Euro League Women regular and has WNBA minutes to her name, told FIBA Basketball that the D’Tigress have the capacity to do well against the Americans.
“Playing USA does sound really nice,” Elonu said. “I don’t know what to expect, but we’re just going to keep pushing. We go with the same mentality. As a player, as a competitor, you have to go with the same mentality. We’re not here, you know, just being happy to still be here. This is a new experience, but we want to put on the best show and performances that we can.”
AFA Sports, kit manufacturers of the team, are happy to identify with the team, expressing belief that the team would get better.
Meanwhile, the minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung is to reward D’Tigress with $10,000 if they beat USA today in the quarter final of the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Spain
He made this promise when he paid a visit to the team yesterday night at their Sol Costa Atlantis hotel.
He said the promise is just his personal effort to motivate the girls to do strive for greatness when they meet USA who are currently ranked world number 1.