D’Tigers Fall Again, Suffer Narrow 82-79 Defeat To South Sudan

Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, suffered their second consecutive defeat in the second round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers after losing 82-79 to South Sudan on Friday, August 28.

According to Ireporter Online, the Bright Stars held off a late comeback from Nigeria to secure the three-point victory at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia.

The defeat has increased the pressure on D’Tigers as they continue their campaign for a place at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.

South Sudan made a strong start to the contest, producing a decisive 9-0 run late in the opening quarter. The surge turned Nigeria’s 15-14 advantage into a 25-15 deficit before the Bright Stars finished the first period with a 30-19 lead.

D’Tigers responded strongly in the second quarter and gradually reduced the gap. Caleb Agada played a key role in a 7-0 run that stretched from the closing stages of the second quarter into the third, helping Nigeria transform a 43-41 deficit into a 48-43 lead with 9:08 remaining in the third period.

South Sudan, however, recovered its composure and regained control as the contest entered its decisive stages.

Nigeria continued to push for a comeback, with Josh Okogie tying the game at 70-70 with a three-pointer with 7:03 remaining after South Sudan had moved ahead 70-67.

The Bright Stars responded almost immediately, with Wenyen Gabriel restoring their lead 21 seconds later with a hook shot. South Sudan then maintained its composure to close out the game and secure the victory.

Marial Shayok led the Bright Stars with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Nuni Omot contributed 13 points, while Carlik Jones narrowly missed a triple-double after recording 11 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Okogie was Nigeria’s leading scorer with 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists, but his performance was not enough to prevent D’Tigers from suffering another narrow defeat.

The result comes just two days after Nigeria opened the second round with a 78-62 loss to Cameroon, leaving the team without a win from its first two games.

D’Tigers will now face a crucial clash against Cape Verde on Sunday as they look to revive their qualification hopes and avoid further setbacks in the race for the 2027 World Cup.