In a historic achievement, Nigeria’s women’s basketball team became the first African squad, male or female, to reach the Olympic quarterfinals in the sport. Led by Ezinne Kalu’s 21 points, the Nigerians (2-1) defeated Canada 79-70 on Sunday.
This was a landmark moment for Nigerian basketball, as the team had only one previous Olympic win, back in the 2004 Athens Games. Now, they have advanced further than ever before, earning a quarterfinal matchup with the mighty United States, who are seeking their eighth consecutive gold medal.
After the win over Canada, the Nigerian players celebrated jubilantly on the court, with an assistant coach capturing the moment on her phone. The team took time to high-five their Canadian counterparts before huddling together and posing for photos, savoring their historic accomplishment.
Canada, ranked 5th in the world, finished the tournament winless at 0-3, eliminated on the final day of group play by a Nigerian squad ranked 12th globally.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Australia held off France 79-72 to clinch the final quarterfinal berth. The Opals (2-1) will face Serbia in the first quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday, while Spain takes on Belgium, France meets Germany, and the U.S. battles Nigeria.
The Olympic women’s basketball tournament has seen several teams punch their tickets to the quarterfinals, including powerhouses like the U.S., Spain, Serbia, France, and Germany. Nigeria and Australia secured their spots on the final day of group play.
This marks a significant achievement for the Nigerian women’s team, which failed to even qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics and went winless in Tokyo. Now, they will have the opportunity to continue their Cinderella run against the star-studded American squad in Paris.
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