Nigeria’s D’Tigers opened their 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers with a painful overtime defeat on Thursday night, losing 88–78 to hosts Tunisia in Tunis despite a spirited performance that kept them in contention until the final minutes.
Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed’s newly assembled 12-man squad—built on a mix of experience and emerging talent—showed flashes of promise but ultimately faltered under Tunisia’s late pressure.
The tightly contested encounter, which ended 73–73 in regulation, slipped away in overtime as the home side outscored Nigeria 15–5.
Nigeria started strongly, taking the first quarter 15–12 through aggressive ball movement and interior dominance from Talib Zanna.
The exciting forward proved to be D’Tigers’ standout performer on the night, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and one assist in 31 minutes.
Tunisia swung the momentum in the second quarter, capitalising on Nigeria’s turnovers to take a 23–17 edge and hold a narrow halftime lead.
The hosts were led by the sensational Omar Abada, who delivered a game-high 29 points along with four rebounds and five assists.
His backcourt partner Oussama Marnaoui added 25 points, continually punishing D’Tigers from mid-range and beyond the arc.
Nigeria responded well after the break.
With Zanna controlling the paint and forward Morris Udeze contributing 10 points and six rebounds, D’Tigers put up a lively 21-point third quarter to reclaim the lead.
Veteran guard Ike Nwamu kept Nigeria’s offence organised, producing nine points, five rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes, while Stan Okoye added nine points.
The fourth quarter became a tense, possession-by-possession battle.
Jordan Ogundiran (six points, four rebounds, six assists) and Mike Nuga (five points, four rebounds) added valuable minutes as the game remained tight.
Both sides traded baskets until the final seconds, with regulation ending level at 73–73.
Overtime, however, belonged entirely to Tunisia. The hosts tightened their defence and attacked Nigeria in transition, scoring at will as D’Tigers struggled to find open looks.
Fatigue and turnovers proved costly as Nigeria managed just five points in the extra period.
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The defeat comes at the start of a long qualification window running until 2027, with Nigeria seeking to return to the World Cup after missing the 2023 edition.
Coach Abdulrahman’s roster—featuring seasoned names like Nwamu, Zanna and Okoye alongside home-based players Olisa Akonobi and Augustine Okafor—was selected to bring balance and depth to a demanding campaign.
With results carrying over to the second qualification round, Nigeria must quickly regroup ahead of their remaining Group C games against Rwanda and Guinea.
Only five African teams will ultimately secure World Cup places in Doha, leaving D’Tigers with little margin for early setbacks.
