Customs Club, Nigeria's representatives in the ongoing Nineth African Female Basketball Cham-pionships in Abidjan, started the tournament on a faulty note, losing 80-70 to Academica of Mozambique in their first match, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A NAN correspondent, covering the match, reports that the Nigerian representatives drew the first blood and led the Mozambicans 8-7 before the southern Africans took over to 29-21 in the first time out.

It was the Mozambicans all the way as they ran rings around the slower and shorter Nigerians who lost many of the foul throws through inaccurate shooting.

In contrast, the Mozambicans converted almost all their foul throws. The Nigerians, whose major handicap was their height, tried in vain to reduce the 10-point gap at half time but it was the Mozambicans to held sway.

The presence of Ivorian-based Nigerians, who came with their drums and trumpet, spurred the Customs girls into action but the 10-point gap proved difficult for them to close in the exciting match watched by a sparse crowd.

In the opening match of the tournament, the ABC club of Cote d'Ivoire defeated JARAAF, one of the two clubs from Senegal, 61-46. In another game, the defending champions, the University Club (DUC) of Senegal defeated their Malian rivals 77-74.

Eight countries are taking part in the championships featuring nine clubs.

Senegalese clubs have won five of the last eight editions, against two by Angola and one by Congo.