The Nigerian team will leave Saitama this evening disappointed after their heartbreaking 78-77 defeat to Germany in the second round of the FIBA World Championship but very proud of the effort they gave throughout and even more so in their final game.
One of the most important figures at the FIBA World Championship is not on the court.
It had been 20 years since France last played in the FIBA World Championships and Tony Parker was looking forward to taking part in this one because he felt France had a great team and as a result a great chance.
Prince Hitachi Masahito and Princess Hitachi Hanako were in attendance to represent the Imperial House of Japan on the first day of the eight-finals.
Aymeric Jeanneau hit six free throws in the final 36 seconds to lead France to a 68-62 victory over Angola and a quarter-final spot at the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Every player on all 16 eight-finalists at the 2006 FIBA World Championship participated in a show of support to help keep basketball a drug free game.
The United States breezed into the quarter-finals of the 2006 FIBA World Championship while hard-fought victories by Germany and France meant the end of Africa's campaign, and Greece remained undefeated.
A timid second-round exit ended Serbia & Montenegro's medal hopes at the men's world basketball championship in Japan and completed a four-year barren spell in major competitions for the 2002 champions.
China's high hopes for its basketball team ahead of hosting the 2008 Olympics took a hit on Sunday, as the team was humbled 95-64 by Greece in the world championship.
The United States cruised into the quarterfinals of the basketball world championship Sunday. Germany had to fight for every point.
Tab Baldwin, New Zealand's head coach for the last six years, resigned after his team's 79-62 loss to Argentina on Saturday in the second round of the FIBA world championships.
Arvydas Macijauskas scored 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and Lithuania survived four missed free throws in the final seconds for a 71-68 victory over Italy on Saturday.
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