Despite already securing qualification for the 2025 FIBA Afrobasket, set for August in Angola, Nigeria’s D’Tigers closed out their final game of the third qualifying window in style, defeating Cape Verde 77-62 at the Grand Hall in Tripoli, Libya.
After finishing the second window in Libya with a 0-3 record, Nigeria needed a perfect run in the third qualifying window—and they delivered. D’Tigers triumphed over hosts Libya, Uganda, and Cape Verde to officially book their spot in the competition.
With qualification already secured before tip-off, head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed handed home-based players Ifeanyi Koko and Ibe Abuchi their first minutes of the tournament, clocking two minutes apiece.
Caleb Agada once again shone as Nigeria’s standout performer. The 2020 Tokyo Olympian dominated the stat sheet, leading all players in multiple categories. He posted a game-high 23 points, a joint game-high eight rebounds, a game-high six assists, and a game-high five steals, spearheading Nigeria’s third consecutive win in the window.
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Talib Zanna contributed 13 points, while Ike Nwamu added 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
For Cape Verde, Ivan Almeida led the scoring with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Shane Da Rosa chipped in 10 points. After going undefeated (3-0) in the previous window, Cape Verde struggled in this phase, losing all three of their games.
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