By Barnabas Augustine
Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, the D’Tigress, have sensationally secured a place in the Olympic quarter-finals after a thrilling 79-70 victory over Canada.
In a hard-fought encounter at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, the African champions produced a stunning second-half performance to overcome their North American rivals and make history.
This marks the first time the D’Tigress have reached the last eight of an Olympic basketball tournament, a monumental achievement for the nation.
Rena Wakama’s side had endured a mixed bag of results in the group stage, bouncing back from a defeat to hosts France with a crucial win over Australia.
The game against Canada was a tightly contested affair for much of the first half, with neither side able to establish a clear advantage. However, a dominant third quarter, where Nigeria outscored their opponents 23-5, proved to be the turning point.
The D’Tigress maintained their momentum in the final period to seal a memorable triumph and set up a quarter-final clash.