D’Tigers Suffer 78-62 Defeat To Cameroon In World Cup Qualifiers

Newslens NG reports that Nigeria’s D’Tigers suffered a disappointing 78-62 defeat to Cameroon on Thursday in their opening game of the second round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.

The game, played at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia, saw Cameroon take control after Nigeria made an encouraging start.

D’Tigers initially turned an early 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 advantage, with Ike Nwamu contributing four points while Josh Okogie added two points from the free-throw line.

Nigeria later led 11-9 before Cameroon responded strongly, with Christian Koloko’s dunk tying the game at 11-11.

Cameroon subsequently produced a decisive 13-0 scoring run to take a 20-11 lead before eventually ending the opening quarter 23-14 ahead.

Nigeria managed to match Cameroon 18-18 in the second quarter but could not reduce the deficit significantly, going into halftime nine points behind at 41-32.

Cameroon maintained their advantage after the break, winning the third quarter 19-16 before finishing the game with an 18-14 advantage in the final period.

Yves Missi was the standout performer for Cameroon, recording 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. He shot nine of 13 from the field and six of eight from the free-throw line.

For Nigeria, the defeat represents a setback in their bid to qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.

The loss leaves D’Tigers fourth in Group E with 11 points, while Cameroon moved to the top of the group.

Nigeria, however, have little time to dwell on the defeat as they are scheduled to face South Sudan in their next game on Friday.

The encounter has become crucial for D’Tigers, with another defeat potentially putting further pressure on their World Cup qualification hopes.

South Sudan began the second round with an 81-71 victory over Guinea, adding further significance to Nigeria’s next fixture.

D’Tigers will also face Cape Verde in their final game of the qualifying window on Sunday.

With the qualification race in Group E closely contested, Nigeria will need a strong response in their remaining games to keep their World Cup ambitions alive.