Stalking Tigresses maul hapless Verd for dinner

The ravaging Tigresses, who are on the one hand, in the mood to make a successful defence of their continental title, and on the other, to ensure a ticket for the global fiesta of the dunking and shooting game next year, made a mince meat of their first prey, Cape Verde in their opening outing in Abuja.

Led by Ufom Udoka on the court and trained by Scott Nnaji, the Tigresses left no one present at the world-class indoors hall of the Abuja Stadium, that, they were in for real business.

Pumping harder than ever before and ensuring accurate throws and shots, the Nigerian women, who put the nation's name on the Olympian Books of Record at the Athens Games last year, proved beyond all doubts that, their women folks from Cape Verde, were no match; it was also ashowing, which would have sent their other opponents chilling down their bone marrows.

At the end of the thrilling show, the Tigresses carried the day as the scoreboard beamed: 96 - 38 points in the favour of the Nigerians.  They were not alone in the victory dance on Wednesday; the women from Congo clapped and danced following their 60 -46 point-victory over Mozambique. 

Senegal, the D'Tigress next opponents, also looked like they have some hard nuts for the Nigerians to crack; they beat Mali 61 - 41 in their opening game on same day

According to the fixtures of the championship, which ends on December 29, 2005, Mozambique would face Angola - a rugged African side in Group B, while Congo would meet Gabon in the Day 2 of the Championship.