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Nigeria’s D’Tigers have officially booked their spot in the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Championship, delivering a dominant performance in the final leg of the qualifiers in Libya.
Overcoming a slow start in the first round, the team bounced back impressively, securing victories against Libya, Uganda, and Cape Verde to seal their place in the prestigious tournament.
D’Tigers roar to victory over Cape Verde
Despite already confirming their qualification before the final game, D’Tigers ended their campaign on a high note with a commanding 77-62 win over Cape Verde at the Grand Hall in Tripoli, Libya.
The team’s resurgence was remarkable, considering their struggles in the second window, where they failed to secure a single victory.
However, they responded emphatically in the third and final window, going unbeaten against their opponents.
Head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed took the opportunity to hand home-based players Ifeanyi Koko and Ibe Abuchi their first minutes of the tournament, rewarding their hard work with valuable court time.
Agada leads the charge again
Caleb Agada was once again the standout performer for Nigeria.
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The Tokyo 2020 Olympian dominated the court, leading all players in key statistical categories. He finished with a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five steals, cementing his role as the driving force behind Nigeria’s success.
Talib Zanna contributed 13 points, while Ike Nwamu added 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists to show a strong team performance.
For Cape Verde, Ivan Almeida led with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Shane Da Rosa added 10 points.
After an unbeaten run in the previous qualifying window, Cape Verde struggled in this round, losing all three of their matches.
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Nigeria’s road to qualification
D’Tigers’ journey to qualification was anything but smooth. After a disappointing showing in the first round on home soil, where they came close to missing out, they turned their fortunes around in Libya.
After starting with a victory over hosts Libya, they avenged their earlier loss to Uganda with a decisive 87-67 victory.
D’Tigers capitalised on Libya’s stunning upset over Cape Verde to keep their qualification hopes alive.
With their place now secured, Nigeria will shift focus to the main tournament, set to take place in Angola from 12-24 August.
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