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Head coach David Fizdale says Nigeria’s 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup dream remains alive after the D’Tigers thrashed Cape Verde 100-84 in the final game of the fourth window of the African Qualifiers on Sunday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia.
Fizdale’s side had arrived at the fixture with an even 4-4 record and needed a fifth win to stay firmly in contention, a mandate the coach had set as urgent going into the weekend.
Nigeria delivered emphatically, leading from the opening tip and never relinquishing control, to keep their qualification hopes intact heading into the final window.
“We needed that win to stay in the fight and give ourselves a chance,” Fizdale said at his post-match press conference.
“I told the guys if we get to five wins, we are within striking distance of qualifying in the next window.”
The D’Tigers raced to a 9-0 start and closed the first quarter 23-9, before extending the advantage to 52-35 at half-time. The lead grew to 76-54 after three quarters, and Nigeria saw out the game 100-84 in the final period, building a 27-point cushion at its widest.
Caleb Agada was the standout performer, scoring a game-high 26 points on nine of 12 shooting from the field, including eight of 11 from three-point range, along with six assists in just under 24 minutes.
He proved decisive again when Cape Verde threatened to close the gap, scoring eight points between the 3:44 and 1:38 marks of the final quarter to put the game beyond their opponents.
Josh Okogie came close to a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds and four steals, recording an efficiency rating of 25 and a game-high plus-28 rating. Chimezie Metu anchored the paint with 12 rebounds, adding six points, four assists and one steal, while Ike Nwamu, the veteran team captain, contributed 14 points.
Fizdale credited the team’s rediscovered accuracy from beyond the arc for keeping the World Cup dream alive.
“I was really happy, finally we made threes, because we just could not make shots the first two games,” he said.
The win moved Nigeria to five wins and four losses, reviving their hopes of a World Cup ticket after opening defeats to Cameroon and South Sudan.
The final qualifying window takes place in February 2027, when the top two teams in each group, along with the best third-placed side, will secure tickets to the tournament in Qatar. (PUNCH)
