Ezinne Kalu scored 21 points as Nigeria made Olympic history by becoming the first African team, male or female, to reach the Olympic basketball quarterfinals with a 79-70 victory over Canada on Sunday.
Nigeria (2-1) will now await its next opponent after securing more wins in pool play than any previous Nigerian team. The team, which had not won an Olympic game since the 2004 Athens Games, celebrated the milestone with exuberance, pausing briefly to exchange high-fives with the Canadians before gathering at midcourt for a huddle.
Canada, ranked fifth in the world, exited the tournament winless after losing all three of their group stage games. This result marked their elimination on the final day of group play.
The quarterfinals draw will be finalized following the last group-stage game between Australia and host nation France. Five countries have already secured their places in the quarterfinals: the United States, Spain, Serbia, France, and Germany. The U.S. is aiming for an unprecedented eighth consecutive Olympic gold.
Nigeria, which failed to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and went winless in Tokyo, will next play on Wednesday at Bercy Arena. The team faced an early setback when captain Amy Okonkwo injured her right shoulder in the second quarter but returned to help lead Nigeria’s second-half surge. Nigeria scored the first six points of the game, but Canada took a 41-37 lead into halftime. Nigeria then responded with a 13-1 run in the third quarter, outscoring Canada 23-5 to take a 60-46 lead into the fourth.
Elizabeth Balogun added 14 points for Nigeria, while Promise Amukamara contributed 12. For Canada, Shay Colley led with 17 points, Bridget Carleton had 13, and Kayla Alexander scored 12.
Belgium 85, Japan 58
In another matchup, Emma Meesseman scored 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Belgium defeated Japan 85-58 to secure the first of three remaining quarterfinal berths. The Belgian team celebrated their advancement with hugs and tears of joy after the final buzzer.
Japan (0-3), which won silver at the Tokyo Games, was eliminated from the tournament. This marks the second consecutive Olympics where the previous silver medalist failed to medal. Spain, which won silver in 2016, was also eliminated in the quarterfinals in Tokyo.
Belgium (1-2) needed to win by 27 points to advance with a better point differential than China. The team managed to achieve this, with a strong crowd support from nearby Belgium. Japan briefly led 4-2 early in the game, but Belgium took control with Antonia Delaere’s 3-pointer, ending the first quarter with a 19-7 lead. The margin grew as Belgium outscored Japan 22-16 in the third quarter.
Elise Ramette contributed 16 points, while Delaere and Maxuella Mbaka Lisowa each added 12 points. Saki Hayashi led Japan with 13 points, and Evelyn Mawuli scored 12.
