Head coach David Fizdale says Nigeria’s 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup dream is still alive after the D’Tigers thrashed Cape Verde 100-84 in the final game of the fourth window of the African Qualifiers on Sunday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia.
Fizdale’s side had gone into the fixture with an even 4-4 record, needing a fifth win to stay firmly in the qualification race a target the coach had described as urgent heading into the weekend.
Nigeria delivered emphatically, leading from the opening tip and never letting go of control, to keep their qualification hopes alive going into the final window.
“We needed that win to stay in the fight and give ourselves a chance,” Fizdale said at his post-match press conference. “I told the guys if we get to five wins, we are within striking distance of qualifying in the next window.”
The D’Tigers raced out to a 9-0 start and closed the first quarter 23-9, before stretching the advantage to 52-35 at half-time. The lead grew further to 76-54 after three quarters, and Nigeria saw out the game 100-84, building a 27-point cushion at its widest.
Caleb Agada was the standout performer, scoring a game-high 26 points on nine of 12 shooting from the field including eight of 11 from beyond the arc along with six assists in just under 24 minutes.
He again proved decisive when Cape Verde threatened to close the gap, scoring eight points between the 3:44 and 1:38 marks of the final quarter to put the game out of reach.
Josh Okogie came close to a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals, posting an efficiency rating of 25 and a game-high plus-28 rating. Chimezie Metu anchored the paint with 12 rebounds, adding six points, four assists and one steal, while veteran team captain Ike Nwamu contributed 14 points.
Fizdale credited the team’s rediscovered accuracy from three-point range for keeping the World Cup dream alive. “I was really happy, finally we made threes, because we just could not make shots the first two games,” he said.
The win moved Nigeria to five wins and four losses, reviving their hopes of a World Cup ticket after opening the campaign with defeats to Cameroon and South Sudan.
The final qualifying window takes place in February 2027, when the top two teams in each group, along with the best third-placed side, will secure tickets to the tournament in Qatar.
