D’Tigers crush Cape Verde 100-84, revive World Cup hopes

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D’Tigers secured a dominant 100-84 win over Cape Verde in the final game of the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers to remain firmly in the hunt for a ticket to the tournament in Qatar, The PUNCH reports.

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Caleb Agada put on a shooting clinic, scoring 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field, including 8-of-11 from three-point range, as Nigeria claimed a convincing win at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia.

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Nigeria seized control from the opening tip and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire and building a 27-point cushion before seeing out the game.

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David Fizdale’s men were quick out of the blocks, racing to a 9-0 lead and closing out the first quarter 23-9.

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They maintained the momentum in the second quarter, extending their advantage to 52-35 at the break.

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The lead grew to 76-54 after the third quarter before the former African champions saw out the game 100-84 in the final period.

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Agada was the undisputed star for Nigeria, finishing with 26 points, four rebounds and six assists in just under 24 minutes of action.

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The guard also came up big when Cape Verde threatened to close the gap, knocking down two three-pointers and adding a two-point basket for eight points between 3:44 and 1:38 of the final quarter to put the game beyond the Islanders.

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Josh Okogie delivered a near triple-double with 15 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and four steals, recording an efficiency rating of 25 and a game-high +28 plus/minus.

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Chimezie Metu anchored Nigeria on the glass with 12 rebounds, while also contributing six points, four assists and one steal.

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After their first two defeats against Cameroon and South Sudan, the victory reignited Nigeria’s hopes of securing a World Cup spot going into the final qualifying window in February/March 2027.

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Following the next three games, the top two teams in each group, alongside the best third-placed team, will qualify for the World Cup.

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The final qualifying window will take place in February 2027, with five African teams set to secure tickets to the World Cup in Qatar.

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