Nigeria’s D’Tigers have found themselves under pressure after the opening three games of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. With just one win and two losses, they sit third in their group and have only three more matches in this first phase to secure their place in the next round.
Their troubles started with an 88–78 overtime loss to hosts Tunisia last Thursday. That setback was followed by a disappointing 69–55 defeat to Guinea, marking the Guineans’ first-ever victory over Nigeria.
The only bright spot came in their latest outing, where they edged Rwanda 75–69 in overtime. Morris Udeze was the hero of the night, dropping 30 points — the highest individual scoring performance in the first qualifying window.
Head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed didn’t hide how important Udeze was to the win.
He told FIBA, “I don’t want to take anything away from the rest of the team, but without Morris, I don’t know where we’d be. We gave him a role and he fully committed to it. He’s one of the most respectful, dedicated, and reliable players I’ve coached at the national level. He gives his all every time he steps on the court.”
Despite their shaky start, D’Tigers still have a chance to hold on to third place in Group C during the next window — and that position would be enough to push them into the second round.
From there, the 12 qualified teams will be split into two groups of six, carrying their earlier results with them. Only the top two teams in each group, along with the best third-placed team, will earn a ticket to the World Cup.
Nigeria currently ranks eighth on FIBA Africa’s power list, and the federation sees these qualifiers as a vital step toward reclaiming the strong reputation the D’Tigers once had. Their last World Cup appearance was in 2019, where they failed to move beyond the first round. They also missed out entirely on the 2023 tournament.
