Nigeria’s D’Tigers revived their hopes of reaching the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup with a commanding 100-84 victory over Cape Verde in their final game of the fourth qualifying window.
Caleb Agada led the charge with 26 points as Nigeria dominated from start to finish at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia.
Agada was outstanding from the perimeter, shooting nine of 12 from the field and eight of 11 from three-point range as Nigeria secured a comfortable win.
The former African champions made an explosive start, racing into a 9-0 lead before ending the opening quarter 23-9 ahead.
Nigeria continued to dictate proceedings in the second quarter, taking a 52-35 advantage into half-time.
The lead was extended to 76-54 by the end of the third quarter before Cape Verde reduced the deficit slightly in the final period, with Nigeria eventually closing out the game 100-84.
Agada finished with 26 points, four rebounds and six assists in just under 24 minutes.
He was particularly influential when Cape Verde threatened to mount a late comeback, scoring eight points in a crucial spell between 3:44 and 1:38 of the fourth quarter. His burst included two three-pointers and a two-point basket that effectively ended the Islanders’ hopes of a comeback.
Josh Okogie also impressed for Nigeria, narrowly missing out on a triple-double after recording 15 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and four steals.
The guard posted an efficiency rating of 25 and finished with a game-high plus/minus of +28.
Chimezie Metu dominated the boards for Nigeria with 12 rebounds, while adding six points, four assists and a steal.
The victory was particularly important for Nigeria after defeats by Cameroon and South Sudan in their opening two games of the window.
The result keeps D’Tigers in contention for a place at the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, with the final qualifying window scheduled for February 2027.
At the end of the qualifying series, the top two teams in each group and the best third-placed team will earn qualification for the tournament.
Five African nations will ultimately secure places at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
