Power forward Morris Udeze was the hero for D’Tigers, delivering a game-high 30 points to inspire Nigeria to a hard-fought 75–69 overtime victory over Rwanda on Sunday in their final game of Window 1 of the FIBA 2027 Men’s World Cup Qualifiers in Radès, Tunisia.
After losing their opening two games of the qualifying window to hosts Tunisia and high-flying Guinea, it looked as though D’Tigers were heading for a third straight defeat when they were outscored 21–12 in the first quarter against Rwanda.
However, Nigeria responded superbly in the second and third quarters, outscoring their East African opponents 13–6 and 20–9 to take control of the contest. But Rwanda clawed their way back, dominating the fourth quarter 25–16 to tie the game at 61–61 at the end of regulation.
In overtime, Udeze led from the front, adding four crucial points while Stan Okoye, Ike Nwamu, and Jordan Ogundiran all contributed as D’Tigers pulled away, outscoring Rwanda 14–8 to seal their only win of the window.
Alongside his 30 points, Udeze posted a game-high 10 rebounds, two assists, and one block. Stan Okoye followed with 16 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, while Ike Nwamu added 13 points, a game-high six assists, and six rebounds.
For Rwanda, power forward Dieudonné Ndizeye was the only player to reach double figures. Kenny Manzi and Jean Nshobozwoya contributed nine points each.
At the end of Window 1, Nigeria sits third in Group C with one win from three games, behind leaders Guinea and second-placed Tunisia, while Rwanda remains bottom of the table.
Window 2 of the qualifiers is scheduled for February 2026.
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