Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, defeated Rwanda 106-62 on Sunday to complete a perfect qualifying window and secure a place in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
The emphatic victory saw Nigeria finish the three-game window unbeaten, following earlier wins over Tunisia and Guinea, marking a strong resurgence under head coach David Fizdale.
Point guard Uche Iroegbu led the Nigerian attack with 17 points and seven assists, while Caleb Agada, Ikechukwu Mekowulu and Stan Okoye each added 13 points as D’Tigers displayed impressive offensive depth and defensive discipline.
Nigeria established control from the opening quarter, racing to a 25-14 lead before extending the advantage to 49-29 at halftime.
The Nigerians maintained their dominance after the break, outscoring Rwanda to open up an 80-44 lead at the end of the third quarter before sealing the victory with another strong fourth-quarter performance.
D’Tigers had begun the qualifying window with an 84-81 victory over Tunisia before edging Guinea 80-79 in a dramatic comeback win, completing a clean sweep of their fixtures.
The result capped a remarkable turnaround for Nigeria, who entered the window under pressure after winning just one of their opening three games in the qualifiers.
Nigeria finished the first-round campaign on 10 points, alongside Tunisia and Guinea, with all three teams progressing to the second round from the group.
The second round of the African Qualifiers will take place between August 2026 and February 2027. The 12 qualified teams will be divided into two groups of six, carrying forward results against fellow qualifiers from the first round. The top two teams in each group, along with the best third-placed team, will qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
