NIGERIA’s D’Tigers will be keen to beat Cote d’Ivoire in their last first-round game at the 2021 AfroBasket Championship in Kigali, Rwanda in order to emerge at the top team in Group C.
Following the expansion of the number of participating teams at the AfroBasket from 12 to 16, and with only group winners gaining automatic tickets to the quarter-final, both teams need victory to guarantee a spot in the last eight.
D’Tigers and Cote d’Ivoire won their first two games against Kenya and Mali, and Nigeria coach Mike Brown knows that a win on Sunday will smooth his side’s path in their quest for the title.
Although the Ivorians currently top the group based on superior points made, a win for Nigeria will change the shape of the final group table.
Speaking ahead of the game, Brown expressed respect for his opponents and admitted he would be expecting a very tough and physical contest.
“I don’t know yet because I have not spent a lot of time watching them,” the American said. “I do know they play extremely hard and they are well coached. We have to come out and fight for 40 minutes.”
The last time both teams met, Nigeria defeated the Ivorians 83-66 in September 2019 in the classification round of the FIBA World Cup.
However, D’Tigers are in Kigali without their star players, with most of them unable to make it to the competition two weeks after competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Brown said his team cannot afford to be intimidated by the aggression of the Ivorians.
“They need to take care of the ball and be wary of needless turnovers against a highly physical team,” the American noted.
“We have to keep them off the glass because they are a physical team that rebounds well and we have to really take care of the ball because they really get up there defensively.”
