D’Tigers Lose to South Sudan, World Cup Hopes Dwindle

D’Tigers suffered their second consecutive defeat in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers, losing 82-79 to South Sudan on Friday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia. Nigeria fell behind early, facing an 11-point deficit in the first quarter.

They managed to recover, briefly taking a 48-43 lead in the third quarter thanks to a 7-0 run led by Caleb Agada. However, South Sudan regained control, and the game remained closely contested.

Josh Okogie leveled the score at 70-70 with a three-pointer, but South Sudan's Wenyen Gabriel quickly restored their lead. Marial Shayok led South Sudan with 19 points, while Okogie was Nigeria's top scorer with 14 points.

This defeat followed a 78-62 loss to Cameroon, putting D’Tigers under pressure to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, with their next match against Cape Verde being crucial.