The Senior National Women’s Basketball Team, D’Tigress Head Coach Rena Wakama has expressed confidence in meeting the United States at the quarterfinals of the ongoing Paris Olympics.
The News Agency of Nigeria ((NAN) reports that Nigeria will be playing the nine-time gold medalist US team on Wednesday in a quarterfinal clash.
Wakama who spoke virtually from Paris, France said, “we are really excited because we want to play the best of the best.”
“We believe that everything happened for a reason. We met them already in Belgium but we did not play our best so we are looking forward to meeting them again on Wednesday,” she said, adding: “I think the first game that we played with them was an eye opener. We were able to watch the game and break down what we did wrong.
“We were able to see what we did good and I think now that our girls have the experience of playing against them, it would help a lot.
“We’ve also played about five games now; we have three friendly and three matches here so we are going into the game confidently.
“Playing well and we have a great addition to the team (Ezinne), that brings another level of intensity and experience to us.”
She also said the fact remains that USA have not played against the team before because the team that they played against in Belgium is different from this team.
“So we are looking forward to doing what we do and doing it well,” Wakama declared.
Similarly some fans of basketball in Lagos have backed the team to edge pass US and shock the world of basketball.
Daniel Festus, fan of basketball said that Nigeria had a very good chance of beating the US team and was confident the team would go all the way to the finals.
“It will be a tough match for D’tigress but I am confide t that they would shock the world of basketball.
“They are a very confident team and are playing with a lot of understanding and good team work indeed they have the ability to stage an upset,”Festus said.
Another fan of basketball Segun Adekeye the NAN that D’tigers team play with a lot of inspiration and solid team work and have the capabilities to beat any team in the world.
“They can do it, they are well experienced and have top notch qualities to challenge any team in the world, I believe in them and I am rooting for their victory,”Adekeye said.(NAN)
