November 26, (THEWILL) – Cape Verde won 79-71 against Nigeria in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers on Friday at Benguela, Angola.
It was Cape Verde’s third consecutive win over Africa’s top team, having beaten D’Tigers at AfroBasket 2007 and AfroBasket 2013 in Abidjan.
D’Tigers walked onto the court knowing they needed to get back on track after a dismal AfroBasket 2021 campaign, but facing a highly determined Cape Verde team that reached the African Championship Semi-Finals three months ago made even that goal a difficult one to reach.
The Islanders hammered Nigeria’s defence, making 12-of-34 attempts from beyond the arc with the duo of Jeff Xavier and Joel Almeida each scoring 14 points, and Anderson Correia coming off the bench to score a game-high 15 points.
Nigeria suffered their third consecutive defeat in major African tournaments, having fallen to Cote d’Ivoire and Uganda in their final two games of the AfroBasket 2021 three months prior, as THEWILL reported.
The D’Tigers led for some parts of the game, but with 3:22 remaining, reserve Anderson Correia hit a thundering dunk that not only levelled the game at 66-66 while throwing spectators into a frenzy, but also proved to be a game-changer for the qualifier.
Cape Verde went on a 6-0 run (72-66 with 1:50 left) because of that dunk, and they never looked back. Correia may have turned the ball over five times, but his impact on both ends of the floor was crucial for a Cape Verde team that appeared to be more enthusiastic and determined to win than their Nigerian opponents.
The biggest difference between the two teams was on the perimeter as Cape Verde made 12-of-34 shots while Nigeria only made 3-of-26. Ben Uzoh had the first double-double in the World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers (11 points and 11 assists), but Cape Verde’s powerful bench (28 points) proved too much for Nigeria’s shorthanded squad.
The game was hotly contested, as evidenced by the 18 lead changes, but taking five fouls early in the fourth quarter not only put Cape Verde in a bonus situation, but it also hampered Nigeria’s chance to come back fourth at the conclusion of regulation.
“It was a very good game,” Nigeria head coach Julius Nwosu commented after the loss. “We came out and did a lot of the things we planned in our game plan to do.
“They came out and executed their plays. And they showed why they have been together for many years. It’s a team that is always together. To me, my team did very well. It’s just that we needed a little more time.
“Our guys are pro, whereas these Cape Verde players are mostly locals. It’s just an issue with [our] programme. [Keith] Omoerah is here with us now, but he might not be next time because of his club.”
Nigeria forward Keith Omoerah, who contributed a joint team-high 13 points with Ike Diogu, also added: “They made those (12) threes, but we are going nowhere. We are here to keep moving. We didn’t come here to lose to anybody,” said Nigerian Keith Omoerah
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
