FIBA’s verdict seals D’Tigers’ place in Angola as Nigeria targets second title

• Nigeria’s D’Tigers have officially qualified for the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket, the team qualified before playing their final game against Cape Verde
• The team bounced back after losing all three games in the first phase of qualifiers last year
• Nigeria won their only AfroBasket title in 2015 and will now aim for a second championship in Angola

Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, officially secured their place at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Championship before even stepping on the court for their final qualifier against Cape Verde on Sunday, February 24. 

Despite early struggles in the first phase of qualifiers, Nigeria completed a stunning turnaround in the second phase, wrapping up their campaign with a 77-62 victory over group leaders Cape Verde.

D’Tigers, who were initially on the brink of missing out after a disastrous first phase where they lost all three games, turned their fortunes around in Tripoli. They began their redemption run with a 75-70 win over hosts Libya on Friday, February 22, before thrashing Uganda 87-67 in their second match on Saturday, February 23.

Before their final game against Cape Verde, FIBA announced that all teams in Group B, namely; Cape Verde, Libya, Nigeria, and Uganda, would qualify for AfroBasket 2025. The basketball governing body stated that the fourth-placed team in the group would advance as the best fourth-placed team across all qualifying groups,

“The team that will finish fourth in this group will qualify as the best-fourth team of the AfroBasket qualifiers,” FIBA confirmed earlier in their match-day preview.

Despite the assurance of qualification, D’Tigers were not content with merely progressing, they wanted to prove their quality on the court. They capped off their impressive second-phase performance with a commanding win over Cape Verde, finishing the qualifiers in style.

With their place in Angola secured, Nigeria will aim to reclaim continental glory. The West African giants have an illustrious AfroBasket history, having participated in the last ten editions of the tournament. They won their only title in 2015, adding to four silver medals and three bronze finishes.

D’Tigers will now set their sights on the tournament scheduled to be held from August 12 to 24 2025 in Angola, hoping to bring home their second AfroBasket crown.

Paris Olympics 2024: Wakama of Nigerian D’Tigress named best female basketball coach at tournament

Previously, TheRadar reported that Rena Wakama made a historic impact at the Paris 2024 Olympics by leading Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, to an unprecedented quarter-finals appearance.

This achievement represented the first time any African team, male or female, has reached this stage in Olympic basketball history.