Nigeria’s women basketball team D’Tigress on Sunday, August 4 made headlines and history as the first African team, male or female to get to the quarterfinals of Olympic basketball.
The team kicked off the competition as the underdogs. Still, it however quickly changed that status after a historic win over the world number 3, Australia in their opening bout and now clinching another win against world number 5, Canada.
After their history-making win, the D’Tigress of Nigeria has now been drawn against the defending champions USA. This means the Nigerian team will be facing their toughest test yet in a bout that is scheduled for Wednesday, 7 August.
Team USA as you should know has been spectacular so far in this tournament and has also been unbeaten. The defending champions on their way to the quarterfinals of the tournament have defeated teams such as Belgium, Japan, and Germany. Team USA is chasing its 10th Olympic title and is also the defending champion of the event as stated earlier.
What to Expect from the Match-Up
With the track record of Team USA and their impressive run so far in Paris, one might be quick to give them the upper hand in the quarterfinal tie, but nothing should be taken away from this Nigerian team. So what are their chances?
The Tigress already have made history by winning two games and in the process qualifying for the knockout stage of the competition, something many all over the world thought was impossible.
The ability of Team Nigeria to cause an upset might be their only saving grace when they get to meet the defending champions on Wednesday. It no doubt that the credentials of Team USA are formidable, but Nigeria still has the potential to cause an upset.
Other Times They Have Met
The two teams in question in regards to D’Tigress and Team USA have met before, four times to be precise in the last six years, with their last meeting in question at the Olympics qualifiers resulting in a 100-46 win for the USA.
Other Quarterfinal Matches to Lookout For
Other quarterfinal matches will see Serbia take on Australia, while host country France squares up with Germany. Belgium on the other hand will play against Spain. Remember both teams medaled at Rio 2016, and will now meet again in one of the most anticipated matches of the quarterfinals tie.
