Nigeria’s D’Tigers kept alive hopes of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup after beating Cape Verde 100 points to 84 in their last game in the fourth window of the African Qualifiers on Sunday.
The victory in Radès, Tunisia, comes at a crucial time for D’Tigers following consecutive defeats to Cameroon and South Sudan.
Knowing that another loss would almost certainly end their World Cup dreams, D’Tigers established control from the opening tip and raced to a 23-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Cape Verde performed better in the second quarter but Nigeria remained in command, winning it 29-26 to lead 52-35 at the end of the first half.
Nigeria continued to dominate when the game resumed by adding 24 points in the third quarter while restricting Cape Verde to 19 points to lead 76-54.
Cape Verde fought back in the fourth quarter and outscored Nigeria 30-24 but the D’Tigers ultimately secured a comfortable 100 to 84 points victory.
The result leaves Nigeria fourth in Group E with 14 points from a 5-4 record.
Cameroon lead the group with 16 points, while Guinea occupy second place on 15 points. South Sudan are third with 14 points, level with Nigeria but ahead of the D’Tigers in the standings.
Nigeria’s position means the qualification race remains firmly in their hands, but there is little room for error in the final window as a clean sweep of victories would help them qualify for the Qatar 2027 World Cup.
Under the African qualification format, the top two teams in Group E and the top two in Group F will qualify automatically for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup while the best third-placed team from the two groups will claim the fifth African ticket.
With Nigeria currently outside the top two in Group E, the D’Tigers will need a strong finish to move into the automatic qualification positions or put themselves in contention for the best third-place spot.
The fifth and final qualifying window is scheduled for February 25 to 28, 2027.