D’Tigers Suffer 78-62 Cameroon Defeat In World Cup Qualifiers

D’Tigers opened the second round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers with a disappointing 78-62 defeat to Cameroon at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia, on Thursday.

Nigeria made a bright start under coach David Fizdale, turning an early 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead during a 6-0 run. Ike Nwamu scored four points, while Josh Okogie added two from the free-throw line. D’Tigers briefly stretched their advantage to 11-9 before Cameroon hit back through Christian Koloko, whose dunk levelled the score at 11-11 with 4:28 left in the opening quarter.

That basket changed the momentum. Cameroon went on a 13-0 run and ended the first quarter with a 23-14 lead. Nigeria drew the second quarter 18-18 but failed to close the gap, while Cameroon won the third 19-16 and the fourth 18-14 to complete a 16-point victory.

Yves Missi led Cameroon’s charge with 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in 26 minutes and 42 seconds. He shot nine of 13 from the field and six of eight from the free-throw line, while his dunks in the second and fourth quarters helped Cameroon extend their advantage and keep Nigeria at bay.

The defeat has made D’Tigers’ route to the 2027 World Cup in Qatar more difficult. Nigeria currently sit fourth in Group E with 11 points, while Cameroon and South Sudan occupy the two automatic qualifying places.

D’Tigers will face South Sudan on Friday, with victory vital to keeping their World Cup hopes on track. A strong finish in the African qualifiers could also improve Nigeria’s chances of securing a place in the FIBA pre-Olympic qualifying tournament.