Nigeria’s D’Tigers suffered their second consecutive defeat in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers after losing 82-79 to South Sudan on Friday in Radès, Tunisia.
South Sudan made a strong start at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès, overturning a 15-14 deficit with a 9-0 run to take a 25-15 lead before ending the opening quarter 30-19 ahead.
Nigeria gradually recovered from the early setback, with Caleb Agada leading a 7-0 run that helped D’Tigers turn a 43-41 deficit into a 48-43 advantage with 9:08 remaining in the third quarter.
However, the Bright Stars responded strongly and regained control as the contest remained closely fought.
Josh Okogie brought Nigeria level at 70-70 with a three-pointer with 7:03 left on the clock after South Sudan had moved 70-67 ahead.
Wenyen Gabriel quickly restored South Sudan’s advantage with a hook shot 21 seconds later, and the Bright Stars held their lead until the final buzzer.
Marial Shayok was outstanding for South Sudan, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Nuni Omot added 13 points, while Carlik Jones recorded 11 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.
Okogie led Nigeria’s scoring with 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists, but his performance could not prevent another narrow defeat for D’Tigers.
The loss came two days after Nigeria opened the second round with a 78-62 defeat to Cameroon, with Yves Missi scoring 24 points and grabbing nine rebounds for the Central Africans.
The consecutive defeats have increased the pressure on D’Tigers in their bid to secure qualification for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
Nigeria will now face Cape Verde on Sunday in a crucial encounter as they look to revive their qualification campaign.
