Basketball
Libyan newspaper laments Nigeria’s defeat of Libya in AfroBasket
A newspaper in Libya, the Libya Akhbar has lamented the defeat of the national team by Nigeria in the AfroBasket qualifiers. Reporting the D’Tigers’ 75-70 win on Friday night, Libya Akhbar writes:
In a sporting evening marked by feelings of frustration and disappointment, the Libyan basketball team lost to its Nigerian counterpart with a score of (75-70) in the African qualifiers for the 2025 African Basketball Cup, scheduled to be held in Angola next August.
A match marked by excitement and dramatic twists until the last moments, but it ended with a heavy Libyan shock.
The Libyan team entered the match with a clear determination to prove itself against a strong opponent like Nigeria.
From the first moments, the features of a well-thought-out plan based on quick passes and tight defence appeared.
Despite falling behind at times, the Libyan team was able to stay in the atmosphere of the match, which gave the fans hope for a happy surprise
At the start of the fourth period, the Libyan team seemed capable of making a strong comeback.
The small difference in points provided a golden opportunity to equalize, and perhaps even win. The Libyan fans, who followed the match with passion, lived moments of excitement with every successful shot and every heroic defensive attempt.
However, the final minutes witnessed a sudden collapse in concentration, caused by repeated defensive errors and the players’ failure to capitalize on crucial scoring opportunities.
Nigeria, for its part, exploited these gaps and extended its lead, snatching victory at the critical moments.
Despite the strong performance of the Libyan team, the final result was a painful slap in the face.
After the match, the Libyan coach made statements that summed up the team’s feelings: “We took the lead at the crucial moments but lacked focus.” A statement that reflects disappointment but also hints at hope for improvement.
“We were close to a draw, but our defensive mistakes cost us the game,” said one of the team’s players.
The team captain stressed that “the defeat is painful, but it is not the end of the road. We must quickly correct our mistakes to stay in the race to qualify.”
With this loss, Libya’s tally froze at six points, while Nigeria’s tally rose to five points.
This match was a golden opportunity for Libya to top Group Two, tied with Cape Verde, but the defeat dashed these hopes.
In the same group, the qualifiers witnessed Uganda’s victory over Cape Verde (63-60), which further complicated the competition scene.
Libya’s chances now depend on the performance of the other teams and the need to achieve victories in the upcoming matches.
While Libya struggled, other Arab teams performed well. In Group D, Egypt secured a thrilling win over the Central African Republic (75-71), after a game that saw dramatic changes in the score.
Despite falling behind in the early stages, Egypt came back strongly to win the match.
As for the Tunisian team, it won its match against Kenya without much effort, after Kenya was absent from the match, so the victory was considered (20-0), which gave Tunisia the lead in Group Five with a full score.
Libya’s defeat to Nigeria revealed the strengths and weaknesses within the team. The ability to keep up with a strong team like Nigeria until the last moments is evidence of great potential, but the lack of focus at crucial times is a warning bell.
If the Libyan team wants to stay in the competition, it must address these gaps and work on enhancing its fighting spirit and self-confidence. The qualifiers are not over yet, and there is still a chance to return strongly.
Despite the defeat, there is still hope. Basketball is a game of chances and last seconds, and what happened in the Nigeria match should be an incentive for Libya to return stronger and more determined.
The Libyan fans, despite the bitterness, are still waiting for the moment of joy and victory that may come soon if the team learns the lessons of this harsh defeat.
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Musa Kida, the president of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has been appointed as a non-executive chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the country’s apex oil company. His appointment is part of the sweeping overhaul that the Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu made in the first working day after the Sallah break.
The sacking of the board of the NNPC sees the appointment of Bashir Bayo Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), replacing Mele Kolo Kyari. Prior to his current appointment, Kida was the Deputy Managing Director, Deep Water Services, of Total Nigeria.
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Basketball
NSC DG Bukola Olopade Congratulates NBBF Boss Musa Kida for new appointment as NNPC Chairman
The Director General of the National Sports Commission NSC, Bukola Olopade, has congratulated the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Musa Kida, for his appointment as the new Board Chairman of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Olopade said Musa Kida has been one of Nigeria’s most efficient and Productive Sports administrators who has sacrificed a lot for the growth of Nigerian Basketball.
The DG maintained that his latest appointment is a testament to his years of passion, hard work, dedication and a very successful track record in the oil sector for more than two decades.
” Musa Kida is an accomplished administrator whose achievements cut across both the oil sector and Nigerian basketball. I have no doubt that the NNPC Limited will attain better efficiency and attract more investment under his watch”.
” Under his leadership as the President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, we have seen the steady growth of the country’s basketball and how the National teams have continued to achieve new heights.
” At the last Olympic Games in France, the Nigeria Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress was one of the shining stories for Team Nigeria, where they set a new record by making it to the knockout phase before losing to the United States”.
” I personally know the efforts behind the scenes that kida put in for Nigeria to achieve that feat with the girls in France and the Nigerian girls have been an unrivalled team on the continent for some time now”.
The DG added that he does not doubt that Musa Kida will use his new position to further earnest the development of Nigerian Sports especially basketball especially now that there is a new focus on growing a sustainable Sports Economy.
” Whilst the Oil sector will benefit immensely from the Expertise of Musa Kida as the new Board Chairman of the NNPC Limited, Mr President, has further helped to place Nigerian Sports in a better pedestal by putting one of us in a very strategic place like the NNPC”, he concluded.
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Basketball
FIBA names Nigeria’s Agada among those who starred the most on the last day of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers
The 16 teams that will be competing at this year’s FIBA AfroBasket from 12-24 August have been confirmed, with some teams securing their places on the final day of qualifying.
A quintet of individuals put in stellar performances to send their teams to this year’s African championship in style.
Teams have 169 days to prepare for the 2025 edition of the AfroBasket set to be hosted by former champions Angola, who will be chasing a record-extending 12th title.
FIBA- Africa looked at the matches and the players and featured nine players who were the stars of the final day on Sunday.
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For the second game in a row, Agada was a thorn in their side’s side, scoring 23 points in a convincing 77-62 win over 2021 AfroBasket semifinalists Cape Verde.
The 30-year-old played just over 30 minutes and finished two rebounds shy of a double-double while adding six assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 29.
Nigeria entered the competition after an 0-3 start, but his disruptive presence on the floor helped them to a 3-0 run to qualify, averaging 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists.
The other players highlighted are: Ousmane Drame of Guinea, Karim Maneof Senegal, Childe Dundao of Angola, Siriman Kanoute of Mali, as well as Ntore Habimana (Rwanda) Aliou Fadiala Diarra (Mali) Allan Dokossi (Central African Republic)and Nisre Zouzoua (Cote d’Ivoire)
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