D’Tigers Coach David Fizdale Confident Nigeria Can Secure FIBA World Cup Ticket

Nigeria’s head coach, David Fizdale, has expressed confidence in the D’Tigers’ chances of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup after the team secured a crucial 100-84 victory over Cape Verde on Sunday.

The victory at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia, lifted Nigeria’s record to five wins and four defeats in the African qualifying campaign and kept the country firmly in contention for a place at the tournament.

According to Ireporter Online, the D’Tigers entered the encounter needing a victory to strengthen their qualification hopes following earlier defeats to Cameroon and South Sudan.

Nigeria made a strong start against Cape Verde, establishing a 9-0 lead before finishing the opening quarter 23-9 ahead. The team maintained its advantage in the second quarter to take a 52-35 lead into half-time.

The D’Tigers continued to dominate after the break, extending their advantage to 76-54 at the end of the third quarter before completing the 16-point victory in the final period.

Fizdale described the result as an important step in Nigeria’s qualification campaign, noting that securing a fifth victory had kept the team within reach of a World Cup ticket.

Caleb Agada was Nigeria’s standout performer, finishing with 26 points after converting nine of his 12 field-goal attempts and eight of 11 shots from three-point range. He also recorded six assists in less than 24 minutes on the court.

Josh Okogie delivered an all-round performance with 15 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals, while Chimezie Metu contributed 12 rebounds, six points and four assists. Team captain Ike Nwamu added 14 points.

Fizdale also praised the team’s improved performance from beyond the three-point line, particularly after Nigeria struggled with its shooting in its opening games of the qualifying window.

With the fourth qualifying window completed, Nigeria will now turn its attention to the final window scheduled for February 2027.

The top two teams in each group, alongside the best third-placed team, will secure qualification for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.