Nigeria’s D’Tigers suffered a setback in their 2025 FIBA Afrobasket qualifiers held in Monastir, Tunisia, failing to secure a victory in any of their games losing their final Group B against Cape Verde, with a final score of 78-62.
Despite expectations favoring Cape Verde, who boasted a roster with more experience, the Nigerian team, comprised mainly of domestic players and lesser-known foreign-based talents, showed promise early on. They started the game strongly, clinching the first quarter with a score of 24-16.
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However, Cape Verde dominated the second quarter, outscoring Nigeria 23-9, thus entering halftime with a commanding 12-point lead at 45-33.
The Cape Verdean team continued their dominance in the second half, maintaining their lead with scores of 21-18 and 18-11 in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, securing a final victory of 78-62.
With this result, Cape Verde concluded the first qualifying window with a perfect 3-0 record, while Nigeria found themselves at 0-3, facing a significant challenge to qualify for the 2025 Afrobasket unless they perform exceptionally well in the upcoming final qualifying window.
D’Tigers had lost their opening game against Libya, then their second against Uganda.
Devine Eke stood out with an impressive performance, scoring a game-high 31 points, along with nine rebounds and five steals. Additionally, Mike Nuga contributed 19 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Both players showcased exceptional talent during the qualifiers, a performance that will likely earn them positions in the team’s future lineups when it returns at full strength.
