D’Tigers beat Rwanda to reach next round of FIBA World Cup qualifiers

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Key points

• D’Tigers defeated Rwanda 106-62 to complete an unbeaten run in the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers.
• Nigeria secured qualification for the second round after earlier victories over Guinea and Tunisia.
• Assistant coach David Vanterpool said the team achieved its immediate objective but remained focused on World Cup qualification.
• Veteran forward Stan Okoye described the unbeaten campaign as a confidence booster.

Main story

Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, defeated Rwanda 106-62 on Sunday to complete a perfect campaign in the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers in Luanda, Angola.

The convincing victory secured Nigeria’s place in the second round of the African qualifiers after earlier wins over Guinea (80-79) and Tunisia (84-81).

The three consecutive victories revived Nigeria’s qualification campaign after a difficult start and ensured the team progressed to the next phase of the qualifiers.

Speaking after the match, D’Tigers assistant coach David Vanterpool said the team had achieved its target for the Luanda window but stressed that the qualification campaign was far from over.

“Our goal was to come here and win three games. The job is not done. We still have a lot of work to do, and we’ll continue preparing this team,” he told FIBA.

Veteran forward Stan Okoye also expressed satisfaction with the unbeaten run, describing it as a major confidence boost for the team.

“Going home 3-0 feels amazing, but the job is not done. Representing Nigeria means the world to me, and every opportunity to wear this jersey is a blessing,” Okoye said.

Nigeria travelled to Luanda needing positive results to revive their World Cup hopes after a challenging opening phase of the qualifiers.

The victories over Guinea, Tunisia and Rwanda restored the team’s momentum and kept alive its bid to qualify for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.

The issues

The African qualifiers determine the continent’s representatives at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar. Nigeria, one of Africa’s traditional basketball powers, entered the third qualifying window under pressure after a slow start but responded with three straight victories to keep its qualification hopes on track.

What’s being said

“Our goal was to come here and win three games. The job is not done.” — David Vanterpool

“Going home 3-0 feels amazing, but the job is not done.” — Stan Okoye

What’s next

D’Tigers will compete in the second round of the African qualifiers as they continue their quest to secure one of the continent’s places at the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.

Bottom line

Nigeria restored its World Cup qualification campaign with an unbeaten outing in Luanda, securing progression to the next round while keeping its sights firmly on a place at the 2027 tournament.