Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, delivered a commanding performance on Sunday, defeating Rwanda 106-62 to complete a flawless qualifying window and secure a place in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
The dominant win ensured D’Tigers ended the three-game window with a perfect record, having earlier defeated Tunisia and Guinea.
Point guard Uche Iroegbu had an outstanding performance, finishing with 17 points and seven assists, while Caleb Agada, Ikechukwu Mekowulu, and Stan Okoye each contributed 13 points.
D’Tigers had opened the campaign with a hard-fought 84-81 victory over Tunisia and followed that with a dramatic 80-79 comeback victory against Guinea.
Caleb Agada starred with 22 points, Uche Iroegbu added 14, and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu chipped in 10 as Nigeria overturned a late deficit to claim their second consecutive win.
The triumph over Rwanda completed a clean sweep of the qualifying window, with the team demonstrating resilience, improved chemistry, and consistent execution across all three games.
The three victories significantly strengthen Nigeria’s quest to qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup and restore confidence after previous setbacks in the qualification campaign.
Having completed the first phase in impressive fashion, D’Tigers will now shift their attention to the second round of the African qualifiers, where they will face tougher opposition in the race for one of Africa’s places at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup billed for Qatar.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
