Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, defeated Rwanda 106-62 on Sunday to complete an unbeaten campaign in the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers in Luanda, Angola.
The emphatic victory secured Nigeria’s place in the second round of the African qualifiers after earlier victories over Guinea (80-79) and Tunisia (84-81).
D’Tigers finished the window with a perfect 3-0 record, reviving their World Cup qualification hopes after a difficult start to the campaign.
Speaking after the game, assistant coach David Vanterpool said the team achieved its objective for the qualifying window but remained focused on the bigger task of securing a place at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
> “Our goal was to come here and win three games. The job is not done. We still have a lot of work to do, and we’ll continue preparing this team,” he told FIBA.
Veteran forward Stan Okoye described the unbeaten run as a major confidence boost but stressed that the team remained determined to complete the qualification campaign successfully.
> “Going home 3-0 feels amazing, but the job is not done. Representing Nigeria means the world to me, and every opportunity to wear this jersey is a blessing,” Okoye said.
Nigeria entered the Luanda qualifying window needing positive results to revive their World Cup campaign and responded with successive victories over Guinea, Tunisia and Rwanda.
The three wins ensured D’Tigers advanced to the second round with renewed confidence, although the team acknowledged that qualification for the 2027 World Cup remains the ultimate objective.
Source: (NAN)
