D’Tigers revive World Cup hopes with win over Cabo Verde as Fizdale, Okogie keep faith

Posted : 31 August 2026

Nigeria’s D’Tigers revived their hopes of reaching the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup with an emphatic 100-84 victory over Cabo Verde on Sunday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia.

After suffering setbacks in the qualification campaign, Nigeria needed a strong response and delivered one in style, taking control from the opening tip and never allowing Cabo Verde to take the lead.

The D’Tigers established a 27-point advantage in the second quarter before weathering a late challenge from their opponents to secure the 16-point victory.

Caleb Agada was at the heart of Nigeria’s offensive display, finishing with 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including an impressive 8-of-11 from three-point range.

The guard also contributed four rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes, 53 seconds, finishing with an efficiency rating of 33.

His biggest contribution came when Cabo Verde threatened to mount a comeback in the final quarter. With 3:44 remaining, Agada took matters into his own hands, scoring eight points through two three-pointers and a two-point basket in just over two minutes to put the game beyond the reach of the islanders.

Josh Okogie also produced an outstanding all-round performance, narrowly missing a triple-double after recording 15 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.

The Utah Jazz guard added four steals and one block in 30 minutes, 21 seconds, finishing with an efficiency rating of 25 and a game-high plus-28.

Okogie also provided one of the highlights of the contest when he threw down a dunk with 5:26 remaining in the fourth quarter, energising the Nigerian bench and keeping the D’Tigers firmly in command.

Chimezie Metu dominated the boards for Nigeria, grabbing 12 rebounds while contributing six points, four assists, one steal and one block.

His presence in the paint was evident from the opening stages, with dunks at 8:52 of the first quarter and 7:30 of the second helping Nigeria establish early authority.

The statistics underlined Nigeria’s dominance. The D’Tigers led for 39 minutes, 33 seconds, while Cabo Verde never held the advantage. The game was tied for only 27 seconds.

Nigeria’s most productive spell came early in the second quarter when an 8-0 run between 5:22 and 4:15 extended the lead from 36-19 to 44-19.

The advantage subsequently reached its peak at 27 points, with Nigeria leading 50-23 with 2:15 remaining in the second quarter.

Cabo Verde, however, refused to go down without a fight. The hosts produced a 10-0 run between 2:00 and 0:22 before halftime to reduce the deficit to 50-33, with Anderson Correia contributing five points during the rally.

Nigeria remained composed and carried a comfortable advantage into the second half.

Cabo Verde’s Ivan Almeida was outstanding individually, finishing as the game’s leading scorer with 34 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks. His performance, however, was not enough to overcome Nigeria’s greater collective strength.

For head coach David Fizdale, the victory was particularly significant because it keeps Nigeria within touching distance of qualification.

“We needed that win just to stay in the fight,” Fizdale said.

The American coach said reaching five victories would put Nigeria in a strong position heading into the final qualification window.

“I told those guys we get to five wins, we’re in striking distance of qualifying in the next window, and that’s all we needed, to give ourselves a chance,” he said.

Fizdale was also pleased with the team’s improved shooting after Nigeria struggled from beyond the arc in their opening matches.

“We finally made threes,” he said, noting that Nigeria shot 45 per cent from three-point range after managing just 14 successful attempts from 75 attempts in their first two games.

The coach credited Okogie and Agada for their decisive contributions in the closing stages.

“I thought Josh and Caleb Agada really carried the weight down the stretch for us and made sure we got the W,” Fizdale said.

Okogie, meanwhile, said the players had maintained their belief despite the disappointment of earlier defeats.

“You never feel good after a loss, but at the end of the day, you never play as bad as you think you played, and when you play well, you never play as well as you think you played,” he said.

The guard said the team had remained mentally strong and refused to allow the setbacks to derail its qualification ambitions.

“We’re still in striking distance, and as long as there’s life, just having that Nigerian blood and knowing the Nigerian way, we’re gonna get this thing done,” Okogie said.

He recalled Nigeria’s dramatic 2019 World Cup campaign and the victory over China that secured the country’s qualification for the Olympics, saying the spirit of that generation remains an inspiration.

Fizdale also stressed that the current D’Tigers campaign is about collective commitment rather than individual recognition.

“It’s about Nigeria. It’s not about the one guy,” he said.

He praised players who continue to represent the country despite the possibility that they may not make the final roster if Nigeria qualifies and additional NBA players become available.

According to him, the players have demonstrated pride in wearing Nigeria’s green and white and deserve recognition for their commitment.

Okogie said representing Nigeria carried significance beyond the basketball court, recalling the overwhelming reaction to the team’s famous exhibition victory over the United States in 2021.

“You don’t see the impact that you have on so many people that are watching you,” he said.

“I don’t take that lightly. So every time I step on the court, I try the best of my ability to represent my people.”

The victory has given the D’Tigers valuable momentum ahead of the final qualification window, with Nigeria now needing to build on its improved shooting, defensive intensity and team chemistry to keep its World Cup dream alive.

D’Tigers revive World Cup hopes with win over Cabo Verde as Fizdale, Okogie keep faith

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