Nigeria’s D’Tigers find themselves under early pressure in the race for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup after picking up just one victory from their opening three qualifying fixtures. The team currently sits third in Group C with three games left in the first round of the African qualifiers.
The Nigerian side opened their campaign with an 88–78 overtime loss to hosts Tunisia last Thursday, before suffering another setback two days later when Guinea secured a historic 69–55 win — their first-ever triumph over Nigeria. D’Tigers’ only positive result came in their final outing of the window, where they edged Rwanda 75–69 after another overtime battle.
Morris Udeze delivered an outstanding performance in that win, dropping 30 points — the highest individual score recorded in Window 1 of the qualifiers. Head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed acknowledged the decisive role Udeze played in securing the victory.
“I don’t want to take some of the credit away from other guys, but if he (Morris Udeze) wasn’t here, I don’t know where we would have been. We gave him a role, and he embraced it,” he told FIBA. “He’s the most gentleman I have ever coached at the national team. He is always committed, dedicated, and he is always ready. Every time he is on the floor, he gives everything he’s got. I would like to give him credit for today’s win. He’s been fantastic.”
Despite their inconsistency in the first phase, the D’Tigers will aim to hold onto third place when qualifying resumes next year, as the top three nations in each group secure passage to the second round. The next phase will feature 12 teams split into two groups of six, with all previous results carried forward. Ultimately, only the top two countries in each group — along with the best-performing third-placed team — will secure World Cup qualification.
Nigeria currently occupy eighth place in FIBA Africa’s power rankings, and the basketball federation has emphasized the importance of these qualifiers in restoring the continental dominance once associated with the D’Tigers. Their last World Cup appearance came in 2019, where they exited in the first round, and they did not qualify for the 2023 edition.
