D’Tigers Stumble Against Cameroon as World Cup Qualifying Campaign Resumes

Posted : 29 August 2026

Nigeria’s hopes of making a strong start to the second round of the 2027 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers suffered a setback as D’Tigers were beaten 78-62 by Cameroon in Tunisia.

The defeat was largely shaped by Nigeria’s struggles at both ends of the court, with the team unable to match Cameroon’s physicality, ball movement and efficiency from the field.

The Indomitable Lions took charge early, winning the opening quarter 23-14, before the second period ended 18-18. Cameroon extended their advantage with a 19-16 third-quarter win and closed out the contest 18-14 in the final period.

Nigeria initially showed promise, producing a 6-0 run between 8:54 and 7:54 of the first quarter to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead. Ike Nwamu contributed four points during the burst, while Josh Okogie added two points from the free-throw line.

Cameroon, however, quickly regained control.

The turning point came with 4:28 remaining in the first quarter when Christian Koloko dunked to tie the game at 11-11, after Nigeria had briefly moved ahead 11-9.

From there, Cameroon imposed its rhythm, outscoring Nigeria 35-21 between 6:05 of the first quarter and 2:42 of the second. The Cameroonians combined five successful three-pointers from 11 attempts with eight free throws during that period, while Nigeria managed only seven field goals from 32 attempts and failed to register an assist.

The D’Tigers never fully recovered.

Their biggest problem was shooting efficiency, particularly from beyond the arc. Nigeria attempted 45 three-pointers but converted only eight, a 17.8 per cent success rate, allowing Cameroon to maintain control despite Nigeria creating more shooting opportunities.

Head coach David Fizdale acknowledged the poor shooting display but noted that his team generated 15 more attempts than Cameroon.

“We could have played better, but when you look at the stat sheet, we got 15 more shots than they did. We went eight for 45 from three. I would have never anticipated us shooting the ball that poorly,” he said.

Fizdale also praised Cameroon’s execution while insisting that his players must respond quickly.

“They did a great job defending us and executing their game plan. I thought they were really ready to go,” he said.

The American coach admitted that Nigeria must correct several details in its approach, particularly after Cameroon repeatedly exposed defensive weaknesses.

“There are some details to the stuff that we do that we have to get better at and clean up, learn from this game and move forward,” he said.

One of his major concerns was Nigeria’s inability to deal with Cameroon’s interior threat, with players frequently left to defend one-on-one.

“No, we did not do a good job on him at all. We left our guys on the island too many times where he was looking at one-on-one, but we also didn’t take the challenge one-on-one very well,” Fizdale said.

He added that he expected a stronger competitive response in the next game.

D’Tigers guard Caleb Agada accepted responsibility for the disappointing performance, saying Nigeria lacked the energy needed to compete effectively.

“You might be right, but honestly, give credit to them. They came, they played. They outplayed us today. I think we might have been lacking energy,” Agada said.

“We weren’t ourselves today, but they came out and executed and did what they needed to do. We just need to be better. The onus is on ourselves, and we just have to perform better.”

Agada also identified Nigeria’s excessive reliance on three-point shooting as an area that needs immediate correction.

“One of the biggest things about African basketball is settling for the three, and teams who settle for the three usually don’t end up in the position that they want to be in,” he said.

“We shot a lot more threes and made a lot less. Definitely moving forward, it’s getting in the paint as much as possible.”

For Cameroon, Missi was the dominant force, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in 26:42. He shot nine of 13 from the field and six of eight from the free-throw line for an efficiency rating of 30 and a plus-10.

His powerful dunks helped Cameroon stretch its advantage, including scores that made it 17-27 in the second quarter and 50-65 in the fourth.

Jeremiah Hill added 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in 32:33, producing an efficiency rating of 20 and a team-best plus-18.

Tamenang Choh also contributed six points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block.

Agada led Nigeria with 13 points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals but struggled offensively, shooting four of 15 from the field.

With South Sudan next on Nigeria’s qualifying schedule, Fizdale said the team would return to the video to identify the problems that contributed to the defeat.

“The film tells you the truth,” he said, adding that the team would study the game before preparing for “a really good basketball team in South Sudan.”

For Agada, the challenge goes beyond tactics. He believes Nigeria must rediscover the identity that was missing against Cameroon.

“This is not how we used to play. This is not who we are. This isn’t our identity,” he said.

“I know how I’m feeling is how everybody else is feeling, and it’s on us to come in and change that.”

The defeat puts greater importance on Nigeria’s next assignment as D’Tigers seek to recover quickly and keep their World Cup qualification hopes firmly on track.

D’Tigers Stumble Against Cameroon as World Cup Qualifying Campaign Resumes

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