- Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, ended the latest window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers in commanding fashion with a resounding 106-62 victory over Rwanda in their final Group C match.
The convincing win saw Nigeria finish the three-game qualifying window with a perfect record, having also defeated Tunisia and Guinea to strengthen their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
Point guard Uche Iroegbu led the Nigerian attack with an outstanding performance, recording 17 points and seven assists as D’Tigers dominated from start to finish.
Caleb Agada, Ikechukwu Mekowulu and Stan Okoye also made significant contributions, each scoring 13 points to help Nigeria dismantle the Rwandan side in one of the team’s most dominant displays of the qualifiers.
Nigeria’s impressive finish followed two hard-fought victories earlier in the competition. D’Tigers began the qualifying window with a narrow 84-81 win over Tunisia before producing a dramatic comeback to edge Guinea 80-79 in their second fixture.
Against Guinea, Caleb Agada starred with a game-high 22 points, while Uche Iroegbu added 14 points. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu also played a key role, contributing 10 valuable points to help Nigeria overturn a late deficit and secure victory.
Completing the qualifying window unbeaten represents a major boost for D’Tigers as they continue their quest for a place at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The three consecutive victories have improved the team’s position in the African qualifiers while restoring confidence ahead of tougher challenges.
With the first phase successfully concluded, D’Tigers will now shift focus to the next round of the African qualifiers, where they will compete for one of Africa’s qualification spots at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
