Ivory Coast’s Senior National Men’s Basketball Team has secured a close 69-68 win over Switzerland in its first preparatory game ahead of the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
This year’s World Cup is to be held in China from August 31 to September 15 and Ivory Coast is one of five African nations in the competition.
Grabbing the win is possibly the first in three friendly games the West African nation is due to play this week; the Elephants play Italy on Wednesday, August 7 and Spain on Friday, August 9.
Switzerland led 21-18 at the end of the first quarter but 15-14 and 20-13 second and third quarter leads respectively, pushed the Ivorians ahead.
However, they were made to sweat in the fourth quarter as Switzerland attempted a comeback off a 20-16 score. Like Ivory Coast, Italy secured a win in its friendly game against Romania thanks to an 88-60 score.
Ivory Coast is in Group A in a wide open field that has the likes of host nation China and Poland competing.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
