5th October, 2011
Players and officials of Nigeriaâ€
The Ayo Bakare-led team finished fourth at the biennial tournament, a performance that denied them the championshipâ€
Speaking after their loss to Mali, hosts of the championship,in the third and fourth place crucial match, captain of Dâ€
Also reacting to their failure to get on the podium in Mali, coach of the team, Ayo Bakare said the players tried their best but they would have at least won the bronze medal if not for their loss of concentration during the match.
“Our ambition right from the outset was to win the trophy but unfortunately we couldnâ€
“We can only blame ourselves for this failure and hope that in the future we will be able to prove to Nigerians that we are sorry for letting them down,†a dejected Bakare said.
Finishing second or third would have guarranteed Nigeria a slot in another FIBA olympic qualifying tournament for Women. Instead, Mali and Senegal will play at the tournament for finishing third and second respectively.
Angola defeated defending champions, Senegal by 62-54 points in the final to become champions just over a month after the menâ€
—Bamidele Olowosagba