Nigeria’s under-18 boys’ and girls’ basketball national teams are bracing for action at the African championship in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where both squads arrived on Sunday and settled down quickly to start preparations for the start of competition on Wednesday.
Sports247 gathered that both teams, which will aim for strong performances during their respective categories in Abidjan, as they seek continental glory and qualification for international competitions, already know the opponents they will face in the 2026 FIBA U-18 Afro Basket Championship.
They found the identities of their opponents from a draw ceremony that was conducted by FIBA Africa’s Head of Competitions, Madame Lea Kana on Sunday at the secretariat, with assistance from Brou Edith, Patricia Lourougnou and former Angola international, Victor Muzadi.
During the draw, Nigeria’s Junior Tigers were placed in Group A alongside Egypt, Chad and hosts Côte d’Ivoire, all of who they will play against in order to reach the knockout stage of the championship that will hold in Abidjan from August 5th to 18th.
The Nigerian squad will equally keep their eyes on potential second round opponents from Group B, which has Mali, Madagascar, Gabon and Morocco, while also taking notes about squads in Group C, featuring Cameroon, Tunisia, Rwanda and Senegal.
On the other hand, Junior Tigress were drawn in Group C with Cameroon, Senegal and Tunisia, while Cote d’Ivoire lead Group A, which also has the trio of Central Africa Republic, Uganda and Kenya; with Mali, Morocco, Egypt and Benin Republic pooled to battle for tickets from Group B.
