D’Tigers Face South Sudan Test As World Cup Pressure Mounts After Cameroon Defeat

**Nigeria’s D’Tigers Prepare for Crucial Group‑E Match Against South Sudan**

*Rades, Tunisia – August 28, 2026* – The Nigerian men’s basketball team, known as the D’Tigers, will face South Sudan on Friday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Rades as part of the fourth qualifying window for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African qualifiers.

The encounter follows a 78‑62 loss to Cameroon on Thursday, a defeat that highlighted offensive difficulties for Nigeria. The Cameroonian side built a decisive lead in the first quarter, outscoring Nigeria 23‑14 after an early 6‑2 advantage for the D’Tigers. Nigeria tied the second quarter 18‑18 but could not recover in the second half. Caleb Agada led Nigeria with 13 points, while Efe Abogidi contributed 12 and Ike Nwamu added 10. Josh Okogie recorded seven points, ten rebounds and six assists. Cameroon’s Yves Missi posted 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.

Nigeria entered the second round of qualification with ten points from the first three windows and sat fourth in Group E, a group in which only one point separates Cameroon, Guinea, Tunisia, Nigeria and South Sudan. A further loss could leave little margin for error before the final window game against Cape Verde on Sunday.

South Sudan, currently ranked as Africa’s No. 1 team by FIBA, arrived in the window with a victory over Guinea (81‑71). Carl Jones posted 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists; Majok Deng added 14 points; and JT Thor contributed 11 points. The Bright Stars forced 14 turnovers and limited Guinea to 32 % shooting. Their roster for the window includes several players with NBA and European experience, such as Jones, Nuni Omot, Wenyen Gabriel, JT Thor, Marial Shayok, Majok Deng and Peter Jok.

Statistically, South Sudan has averaged 82.4 points per game and 21.7 assists, compared with Nigeria’s 77.1 points and 18.3 assists. The Bright Stars also hold a higher three‑point shooting percentage (27.5 % versus Nigeria’s 23.8 %). However, Nigeria has a historical edge: the D’Tigers have won both of their previous meetings with South Sudan, defeating them 76‑56 in November 2020 and 75‑70 in February 2021 during the FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers.

Nigeria’s coach David Fizdale will look to improve the team’s discipline and efficiency, with the return of forward Chima Moneke—making his first senior international appearance since the 2021 AfroBasket qualifiers—among the key additions. The current squad also features Chimezie Metu, Josh Okogie, Caleb Agada, Stan Okoye, Ike Nwamu, Udoka Azubuike, Efe Abogidi, Ebuka Izundu, Manny Obaseki, Jordan Ogundiran and Michael Efevberha.

The Group E standings are critical because, after the six additional games in the second round, the top two teams in each group will qualify automatically for the 2027 World Cup, while the best third‑placed team across Groups E and F will secure a fifth African berth. Five African teams in total will qualify for the tournament in Qatar.

With the match against South Sudan representing a pivotal opportunity to regain momentum, the D’Tigers must avoid another defeat before their final window game against Cape Verde on Sunday. Their performance on Friday could significantly influence Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2027 World Cup.

Article and image source: allafrica.com