Caleb Agada was once again the standout performer for
Nigeria
Nigeria’s D’Tigers have officially booked their spot
in the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Championship, delivering a dominant performance in
the final leg of the qualifiers in Libya.
Overcoming a slow start in the first round, the team
bounced back impressively, securing victories against Libya, Uganda, and Cape
Verde to seal their place in the prestigious tournament.
D’Tigers roar to victory over Cape Verde
Despite already confirming their qualification before
the final game, D’Tigers ended their campaign on a high note with a commanding
77-62 win over Cape Verde at the Grand Hall in Tripoli, Libya.
The team’s resurgence was remarkable, considering
their struggles in the second window, where they failed to secure a single
victory.
However, they responded emphatically in the third and
final window, going unbeaten against their opponents.
Head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed took the opportunity
to hand home-based players Ifeanyi Koko and Ibe Abuchi their first minutes of
the tournament, rewarding their hard work with valuable court time.
Agada leads the charge again
Caleb Agada was once again the standout performer for
Nigeria.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympian dominated the court, leading
all players in key statistical categories. He finished with a game-high 23
points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five steals, cementing his role as the
driving force behind Nigeria’s success.
Talib Zanna contributed 13 points, while Ike Nwamu
added 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists to show a strong team
performance.
For Cape Verde, Ivan Almeida led with 15 points and
eight rebounds, while Shane Da Rosa added 10 points.
After an unbeaten run in the previous qualifying
window, Cape Verde struggled in this round, losing all three of their matches.
Nigeria’s road to qualification
D’Tigers’ journey to qualification was anything but
smooth. After a disappointing showing in the first round on home soil, where
they came close to missing out, they turned their fortunes around in Libya.
After starting with a victory over hosts Libya, they
avenged their earlier loss to Uganda with a decisive 87-67 victory.
D’Tigers capitalised on Libya’s stunning upset over
Cape Verde to keep their qualification hopes alive.
With their place now secured, Nigeria will shift focus
to the main tournament, set to take place in Angola from 12-24 August.
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