BREAKING NEWS, Sports
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D’TIGERS, Nigeria’s national male basketball team, have finally won a first ever FIBA Afrobasket Championship on Sunday, August 30, in Tunisia, after beating Angola, 10-time champion and arch-rival, Angola 74-65.
By this victory, the Nigerian team has also qualified directly for the 2016 Rio Olympics, holding in Brazil.
Chamberlain Oguchi scored 19 points and was voted the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and was also named in the team of the tournament alongside teammate, Al-Farouq Aminu.
Oguchi was curtailed on his three-point shooting as he only made three, compared to the eight he made in the semi-final against Senegal.
The Angolans were very aggressive and made 33 fouls compared to just 14 from the D’Tigers with the Nigerians also dominant on the glass with 60 rebounds – 24 offensively and 36 on the defensive end. Alade Aminu led the team in blocks with 12 and he added four points
Afterwards, Oluchi, the MVP, said: “It’s the best moment of my life, to be able to come here after missing the last AfroBasket, to be able to come here and do this with my brothers, it feels amazing.
“I’m happy to be able to share this moment with them and for me personally, it’s just really great.”
Ahead of the final game, Olumide Oyedeji, captain of the team, had said the team was the most talented of the teams that came to Tunisia and that claim was justified even though one of their best players, Ike Diogu, did not play a single minute of the competition because of a twisted ankle.
It was also a great triumph for William Voigt, coach of the team, who was named the substantive coach of the team just in July. By the win Voigt has fulfilled the first part of his contract, which was to qualify the team for the Olympics games in Rio.
He is now expected to prepare the team to do better in Brazil.
— Aug 31, 2015 @ 14:25 GMT
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