D’Tigers Of Nigeria Coach David Fizdale Hopeful Of FIBA World Cup Ticket

Nigeria head coach David Fizdale says the D’Tigers have kept their 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup hopes alive after beating Cape Verde 100-84 in their final game of the fourth qualifying window on Sunday.

The victory at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia, moved Nigeria to five wins and four defeats in the African Qualifiers.

The D’Tigers needed a fifth win to remain in contention after suffering early defeats to Cameroon and South Sudan. They took control against Cape Verde from the start, racing to a 9-0 lead before ending the first quarter 23-9. Nigeria led 52-35 at half-time and extended the gap to 76-54 after three quarters before completing the win in the final period.

“We needed that win to stay in the fight and give ourselves a chance,” Fizdale said after the game.

“I told the guys if we get to five wins, we are within striking distance of qualifying in the next window.”

Caleb Agada led Nigeria with 26 points, shooting nine of 12 from the field and eight of 11 from three-point range. He also provided six assists in just under 24 minutes and stepped up when Cape Verde began to threaten in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points between the 3:44 and 1:38 marks to help Nigeria pull away.

Josh Okogie came close to a triple-double with 15 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals. Chimezie Metu added 12 rebounds, six points and four assists, while captain Ike Nwamu scored 14 points.

Fizdale was particularly pleased with Nigeria’s shooting from three-point range after the team struggled to find its rhythm in the opening games.

“I was really happy; finally, we made threes, because we just could not make shots in the first two games,” he said.

Nigeria will now prepare for the final qualifying window in February 2027. The top two teams in each group, along with the best third-placed team, will qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.