jamal 
BY AMUDA GBEMISOLA EUNICE
Young Tigers of Nigeria began their quest to reach the finals of the FIBA Africa U-16 Male Championships in Accra, Ghana, on Thursday on a winning note.
The team managed by Onyanabo Fubara took the Young Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire to the cleaners in the first game of the FIBA Africa Zone 3 Championship by 67-38 points, a 29-point margin.
Later on Tuesday, the Young Tigress of Nigeria have a date to keep with Ghana in the girls event in the first game of Match Day 2 at the Eden Heights, venue of the Qualifiers in Accra, both teams will slug it out to pick the sole ticket being the only teams that registered in the Zone.
According to the Technical Committee for the Qualifiers, both countries will play twice to determine who picks the ticket.
Nigeria are highly motivated and inspired by the presence of former Nigerian international Taiye Adeniyi as their assistant coach.
Adeniyi, during her playing days, was a three-point shot specialist who ruled Africa at the club level with the First Bank Elephant Girls and the Nigerian women’s national team.
Conversely, Ghana comes with a strong passion to return actively to the basketball community, determined to be counted as a strong force in the zone.
Games to determine who emerges as the Zone representative are held at the beautiful Eden Heights facility, which is located in the central part of Accra.
In the Male Championship, Côte d’Ivoire confronts Ghana in the second match of the day. A defeat will spell doom for the boys from the land of Cocoa.
On Saturday, it will be an all-Nigeria and Ghana matter, but in the female and male events. The females will take to the court first before the males make their entry.
Only three countries, host Ghana, Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire out of the eight countries expected at the championship turned up.
Benin Republic, Togo, Niger, Liberia and Sierra Leone pulled out of the championship at the eleventh hour due to lack of funds.
