Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, secured a dominating 87-66 victory over defending champions Tunisia in the 2025 FIBA Men’s Afrobasket championship.
The match took place at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda in Luanda, Angola, on Friday, August 15, 2025.
D’Tigers started strong, racing to a 10-0 lead in the opening minutes, with Houston Rockets star Josh Okogie dictating the pace.
By the end of the first quarter, Nigeria led 29-16.
The D’Tigers maintained their dominance, outscoring Tunisia 48-33 by halftime.
Okogie ended the first half with 19 points, setting the tone for Nigeria’s victory.
Nigeria continued to build on their lead, dominating the third quarter and extending their advantage to 21 points, with a score of 68-47.
The D’Tigers sealed their win with a final score of 87-66, with Okogie scoring a game-high 33 points, the highest individual tally for a Nigerian player in an Afrobasket match since 2021.
The Houston Rockets guard was unstoppable, scoring 33 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and dishing out 2 assists.
His performance earned him widespread acclaim, with fans and pundits praising his leadership and offensive prowess.
The D’Tigers fielded a strong lineup, featuring Ike Nwamu, Caleb Agada, Talib Zanna, Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu, and Okogie.
Their collective effort and teamwork were instrumental in securing the victory.
D’Tigers will face Cameroon on Sunday in their final group-stage match, which will determine the seeding for the knockout phase.
A win would put them in a favorable position to progress to the quarterfinals.
The victory followed Nigeria’s impressive 77-59 win over Madagascar earlier in the week, which put them on top of Group B.
The D’Tigers will draw inspiration from their female counterparts, who recently clinched a historic fifth consecutive Women’s Afrobasket title .
AFP
