Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, will begin preparations in Tunisia later this month ahead of the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup African qualifiers.
Head coach David Fizdale has selected a 12-man squad for the second phase of the qualifying campaign, with Nigeria facing a demanding schedule in the race for a place at the World Cup in Qatar.
The roster comprises Chimezie Metu, Josh Okogie, Caleb Agada, Stan Okoye, Chima Moneke, Ike Nwamu, Udoka Azubuike, Efe Abogidi, Ebuka Izundu, Manny Obaseki, Jordan Ogundiran and Michael Efevberha.
Fizdale will be supported on the coaching staff by Dan Craig, Quinton Crawford, Deji Akindele and Dapo Adegbile.
One of the major talking points surrounding the squad is the return of Moneke, who is set to make his first appearance for Nigeria in an official senior international fixture since the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers in February 2021.
The forward had subsequently appeared on preliminary lists for major tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics, but did not make the final squad for those competitions.
Nigeria secured a place in the second round after the first three qualifying windows held in November 2025, February 2026 and July 2026.
The results recorded during the opening phase will carry over into the next round, increasing the importance of every fixture as the teams compete for qualification.
Nigeria have been grouped with Cameroon, South Sudan, Guinea, Tunisia and Cape Verde in the second round.
During the upcoming August window, D’Tigers are scheduled to take on Cameroon on August 27, South Sudan on August 28 and Cape Verde on August 30.
Each team in the second round will play three sides that progressed from the other group across the remaining qualifying windows in August 2026 and February 2027.
At the end of the six additional matches, the top two teams in each group will earn automatic qualification, while the best third-placed team across the groups will claim the remaining African berth.
The final qualifying window is scheduled for February 2027, with five African nations ultimately expected to secure places at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
