D’TIGERS EDGE GUINEA TO REACH SECOND ROUND OF FIBA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
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Agency Report
Nigeria’s D’Tigers have booked their place in the second round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers after edging Group C leaders Guinea 80-79 in a thrilling contest in Luanda, Angola.
The victory ended Guinea’s unbeaten run in the group and marked Nigeria’s second consecutive win in the qualifying window after Thursday’s 84-81 triumph over Tunisia.
D’Tigers trailed by six points heading into the fourth quarter but mounted a spirited comeback to snatch a dramatic one-point victory and secure qualification for the next phase of the qualifiers.
The result ensures Nigeria progress alongside Guinea from Group C, with one group-stage fixture remaining against Rwanda on Sunday, July 5.
Nigeria had revived its qualification hopes on Thursday by defeating Tunisia, avenging an 88-78 overtime loss suffered in the reverse fixture in November.
Under newly appointed head coach David Fizdale, D’Tigers claimed the opening quarter 23-21 before Tunisia responded to level the contest. Nigeria regained control after halftime, winning the third quarter 21-19 before holding off a late challenge to seal an 84-81 victory.
The back-to-back wins lifted Nigeria into the qualification places after entering the Luanda window following two defeats in the previous round.
Speaking after the win over Tunisia, Fizdale praised his players’ determination and fighting spirit.
“Collective and physical toughness down the stretch won us the game,” he said.
“We did a lot of things wrong. We made a lot of mistakes that these guys have never made.”
Fizdale, a two-time NBA champion and former Miami Heat assistant coach, was appointed head coach of D’Tigers in May with the task of reviving Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign.
The top three teams from each of the four first-round groups will advance to the second round of the qualifiers, scheduled to take place between August 2026 and February 2027.
The 12 qualified teams will then be divided into two groups of six, with results from the first round carried over. At the end of the second phase, the top two teams from each group, alongside the best third-placed team, will qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
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