Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, delivers another commanding performance in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers, thrashing Rwanda 106-62 on Sunday.
Under head coach David Fizdale, the team bounces back strongly after earlier setbacks against Tunisia and Guinea.
D’Tigers sweeps the three-game window with a flawless 3-0 record, boosting their
hopes for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar. They finish the window on 10 points, level with Tunisia and Guinea, as the top three teams from each group advance.
Point guard Uche Iroegbu directs Nigeria’s offense brilliantly, posting 17 points and seven assists. Caleb Agada, Ikechukwu Mekowulu, and Stan Okoye each add 13 points, highlighting the squad’s attacking depth and defensive intensity.
Nigeria seizes control early and maintains dominance throughout, producing one of their most convincing victories in recent years.
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The D’Tigers surge ahead 25-14 after the first quarter and extend the lead to 49-29 by halftime. They grow even more ruthless in the third period, building an insurmountable 80-44 advantage before closing out strongly with 26 points in the fourth quarter.
Nigeria launches the window with a hard-fought 84-81 win over Tunisia and follows it with a thrilling 80-79 comeback victory against Guinea. This impressive turnaround revives a side that previously managed just one win in their first three games of the prior qualifying phase.
The remaining 12 teams now split into two groups of six for the next round, running from August 2026 to February 2027. They carry forward first-round results, with the top two teams from each group plus the best third-placed side qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar.
