Nigeria’s D’Tigers suffer third consecutive loss in Afrobasket Qualifiers
Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, faced a disappointing round of Afrobasket qualifiers in February, suffering their third consecutive loss at the hands of Cape Verde, with a final score of 78-62.
The series of losses began with an 82-89 defeat to Libya in their opening game, followed by a 72-62 loss to Uganda in their second group match. The streak concluded with a humbling 78-62 blowout loss to Cape Verde.
Despite starting strongly and taking the first quarter 24-16, D’Tigers faced a turnaround in the second quarter as Cape Verde limited them to just nine points while scoring 23 themselves, taking a six-point lead into halftime.
Cape Verde continued their dominance in the third quarter, extending their lead to nine points, and maintained their momentum in the fourth quarter, ultimately securing a 16-point victory.
Patrick Lima proved to be a significant challenge for D’Tigers, contributing 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists for Cape Verde. On the Nigerian side, Devine Chukwuemeka Eke showcased a strong performance with 31 points and nine rebounds.
This recent defeat puts Nigeria’s spot at the Afrobasket in jeopardy, following their denial of a place at the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup by Cape Verde in a previous encounter.
D’Tigers will need to regroup and strategize ahead of future qualifiers to improve their chances of securing a spot in the tournament.
As earlier reported by SPORTSRATION, Nigeria’s participation at the qualifiers suffered significant financial hitches, with the team announcing withdrawal from the championship before a late u-turn to make the trip to Tunisia.
