FIBA World Cup Qualifiers: D’Tigers miss out on showpiece despite valiant efforts

Nigeria’s D’Tigers failed to qualify for the 2023 FIBA World Cup after falling to a 65-59 defeat at the hands of Angola in their final qualifying match. The Nigerian team had already been sent out of contention after Cape Verde defeated Ivory Coast to secure the final ticket before tip-off.

After wins against Ivory Coast and Guinea put them back on track, the D’Tigers needed to defeat Angola and hope that results elsewhere went their way to reach the FIBA World Cup. Before tip-off, the Nigerians realised that they had no chance of making the competition as Cape Verde had defeated Ivory Coast to pick up the fifth and final African ticket.

Despite the news, the D’Tigers showed great fighting spirit against the Angolans before eventually succumbing to a 15-18 deficit by the end of the first quarter. Angola continued to impress in the second quarter and opened up a 36-29 lead by half-time.

Angola extended their lead in the third quarter and held a 55-38 lead over the Nigerian team heading into the fourth quarter. The D’Tigers came out roaring in the fourth quarter and managed to cut the Angolans’ lead to 65-59 by the end of the game.

Nigeria Customs star Ibe Agu led the scoring for the D’Tigers with 26 points in the game as the side shot 36.5% from the field, with Angola shooting 35.5%. Both sides had similar conversion rates from the free throw line and beyond the arc.

Nigeria misses out on the FIBA World Cup after Cape Verde defeated Ivory Coast 79-64. Cape Verde qualified for their first-ever edition of the FIBA World Cup and will now join Ivory Coast, Angola, South Sudan and Egypt at the tournament in August.