February 23, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s D’Tigers registered an impressive 87-67 victory against Uganda in the FIBA AfroBasket 2025 qualification series at Tripoli’s Grand Hall on Saturday. The Nigerian team, following their 75-70 win over Libya, transformed a six-point halftime deficit into a commanding 20-point triumph through exceptional fourth-quarter performance.
Uganda established dominance early, leading 34-28 at halftime after winning both opening quarters. The momentum shifted dramatically in the final period when Nigeria outscored their opponents 32-8, building upon their strong third-quarter showing of 27-25. Caleb Agada produced 20 points while team captain Ike Nwamu contributed 18 points and five rebounds.
The result positions Nigeria second in Group B, trailing Cape Verde who maintain the lead with six points. Uganda, despite this loss, have already earned their spot in the 2025 AfroBasket finals based on earlier performances. Nigeria’s qualification hopes rest on their upcoming match against Cape Verde on Sunday.
Under coach Abdulrahman Mohammed’s leadership, the 12-man Nigerian squad displayed superior defensive organisation compared to their previous encounter with Uganda in February 2024, when they fell 72-62 in Monastir, Tunisia. The team effectively contained Uganda’s Robinson Opong, who had previously scored 39 points against them.
The crucial qualification match against Cape Verde begins at 5:00 PM on Sunday. Nigeria aims to reverse their previous 78-62 defeat to Cape Verde from the first qualifying window. The ongoing qualification series, running through November 2025, will determine the 16 teams advancing to the AfroBasket finals, a tournament Nigeria last won in 2015.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
