D’Tigers of Nigeria defeated Rwanda 75-69 in their third qualification game for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
Nigeria left it late in an intense match to claim an overtime victory over the Rwandans at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès, Tunisia, on Sunday.
The victory was Nigeria’s first in three games of the qualification series after losing to Tunisia and Guinea in their previous games.
D’Tigers were poor in their first two games of Group C of the qualifiers, with cheap turnovers and lacklustre defence and offence. The team initially continued the abysmal form in the opening minutes of the match against Rwanda and lost the first quarter 21-12.
Nigeria’s performance only improved in the second quarter, and the margin was reduced to 27-25 by halftime.
D’Tigers’ momentum carried into the third quarter, and they finally wrested the lead from the Rwandans 45-36. But the lead was surrendered again in the final quarter as Rwanda forced the match into overtime.
Nigeria held on during the added minutes and grabbed a vital 6-point win to keep their qualification hope alive. The team seats third in the group with one win in two games.
All three teams in the group will play one another again for the second phase of the qualification round.
The top three teams from the group will qualify for the final round.
The top five African teams will qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, scheduled for August 27 to September 12.
