French Women’s Basketball vs Nigeria: Johanness Leads French Team, Can Nigeria Pull Off Another Upset?

The Olympic women’s basketball group stage continues on the 1st of August at 11:15 PM local time, with France hosting Nigeria. France’s women’s basketball team has been in excellent form recently, boasting a record of 10 consecutive wins, including their performances in the Women’s European Cup and qualifying matches for the Olympics. They have lost only one game out of their last 19. Prior to the Olympics, they played five friendly matches, maintaining an undefeated record. The French team for the Olympics is led by WNBA star Johanness, along with several players from top European leagues, making their overall strength formidable. As the host nation, France enjoys both home field advantage and other benefits. Their group includes Canada, Australia, and Nigeria. In their first match of the Olympics, France defeated Canada 75-54 with a dominant second quarter scoring 23 points while Canada scored just 2. Throughout the game, France was in control. The team was a collective effort, with all players contributing points, leading to a well-distributed offensive output that made Canada struggle to defend. While their defense also performed well, effectively restricting Canada’s offense, despite being less successful in rebounding and fouls, their strong error management proved decisive. Notably, France’s leading star Johanness struggled with her shooting from beyond the arc, hitting just one out of nine attempts, and contributed only 7 points and 2 rebounds as a substitute. However, her teammates Badiane and Williams maintained a good performance, scoring 13 points and 6 rebounds, and 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists respectively. France’s overall strength led to victory over Canada.

On the other hand, Nigeria, an African team, had a poor run before the Olympics. They lost their Olympic qualifying matches and were initially underperforming. However, they managed to pull off an upset in their opening game against Australia, winning 75-62. It’s noteworthy that Australia ranked 4th in the Women’s World Cup, showcasing their strong capabilities. Nigeria’s impressive performance against Australia, particularly their consistent offensive output and exceptional defensive efforts, which kept Australia’s shooting rate at 38.6%, indicates they possess the potential to be a surprise package. In their victory over Australia, four players from Nigeria scored double digits, with Kalu topping the team with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, demonstrating exceptional performance. Akamara also delivered a commendable score of 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists. Although she had a low shooting percentage, Musa’s substitution brought 11 points and 7 rebounds. Nigeria’s display left Australia in a challenging position, hence it’s not advisable to underestimate this team, as they are capable of performing beyond expectations.

Currently, France ranks 7th in the world, while Nigeria is ranked 12th. Despite the apparent difference in team strength, considering their respective performances in the first round, it’s unwise to overlook this African team. It’s worth noting that France has not lost any game since the beginning of 2024. Will they suffer a setback in the Olympic arena? This seems unlikely.

The French women’s basketball team’s Olympic roster includes Valérie Ayayi, Marime Badiane, Romain Bernis, Alexia Chery, Marlène Fouliot, Marlène Johanness, Léara Lacan, Dominique Malonga, Sarah Michelle Berry, Ilyana Rupert, Jénelle Salan, Gabby Williams.

Nigeria’s Olympic women’s basketball team includes Okonkwo Amy, Elizabeth Balogun, Amuka-Marah Promise, Musa Murjanat, Okoro Ifunanya, Kainiyah Akpana, Paras Egaford, Ebo Lauren, Olorunwatoomi Taiwo, Nicole Enabori, Sara Okog.

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