Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Punch NG / FIBA
D’Tigers Lose 78-62 To Cameroon In World Cup Qualifiers Opener
Nigeria’s D’Tigers got off to a disappointing start in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers, losing 78-62 to Cameroon on Thursday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia.

Coach David Fizdale’s side started brightly and led 11-9 midway through the first quarter, but Cameroon hit back to tie the game at 11-11 after a dunk from Christian Koloko with 4:28 left in the quarter. That sparked a 13-0 run that gave the Cameroonians control they never lost.

Cameroon took the first quarter 23-14, the second was tied 18-18, before they won the third 19-16 and the fourth 18-14 to seal a 16-point win.

Cameroon center Yves Missi was the star of the game with 24 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in 26 minutes. He shot 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line for an efficiency rating of 30.

Nigeria’s best moment was an early 6-0 run that turned a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead, led by Ike Nwamu and Josh Okogie.

The defeat leaves Nigeria in a difficult position in Group E. The D’Tigers are now 4th on the table with 11 points, while Cameroon and South Sudan hold the two automatic qualification spots for the World Cup in Qatar.

Nigeria will look to bounce back against South Sudan today (Friday) as they try to keep their World Cup hopes alive and boost their chances of making the FIBA pre-Olympic qualifying tournament.

Source: Punch Newspapers –