Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the ongoing 2025 FIBA Men’s AfroBasket after a strong 101–92 win over Cameroon in their final group game on Sunday.
The victory means D’Tigers finish top of Group B, having earlier defeated Madagascar and defending champions Tunisia. With three wins out of three, Nigeria advances automatically to the quarter-finals, showing they are serious contenders for the title.
Cameroon, who also won their first two games against the same opponents, will now go through the playoff route to confirm their place in the last eight.
The highly anticipated clash between Nigeria and Cameroon lived up to expectations. Both teams came into the game unbeaten and full of confidence, knowing a win would secure top spot in the group.
The first quarter was tightly contested, with both sides matching each other shot for shot. D’Tigers managed to edge the quarter 28–27, thanks to some quick passing and solid shooting from beyond the arc.
By the second quarter, Nigeria began to pull away. Led by head coach Mohammed Abdulrahman, the team played with high energy and pressed the Cameroonians hard on defence. Their efforts paid off as they outscored Cameroon and went into halftime with a 60–43 lead.
The third quarter was where D’Tigers truly took control. Nigeria opened up a commanding 31-point lead, ending the third period 86–55. The combination of aggressive play on both ends of the court and smart substitutions gave Nigeria the upper hand.
Although Cameroon attempted a comeback in the final quarter, outscoring Nigeria 37–15 in the last 10 minutes, the gap was too wide to close. D’Tigers held on to win 101–92 and secure their third straight win in the tournament.
With this result, Nigeria finish as Group B leaders with a perfect 3–0 record. They previously defeated Madagascar and pulled off a big win against Tunisia, who won the last edition of the AfroBasket.
This group has been one of the most competitive in the tournament, with three strong teams battling for supremacy. However, D’Tigers showed class, consistency, and discipline across all three games.
Cameroon, despite the loss, also impressed in their earlier games and still have a chance to reach the quarter-finals through the play-in round, where they will face one of the lower-ranked teams from another group.
This performance marks a major improvement for D’Tigers, who have had a challenging few years due to changes in coaching staff, funding issues, and player availability. Coach Abdulrahman has managed to bring a sense of unity and structure to the team, blending home-based talent with overseas players.
Many basketball fans back home have praised the team’s performance so far, saying it reflects the strength of Nigeria in African basketball. The D’Tigers are two-time AfroBasket champions, having won in 2015 and finished as runners-up in 2017.
They will now face the third-placed team from Group A in the quarter-finals, with hopes of going all the way to the final.
Following the win, fans and officials of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) took to social media to congratulate the team.
One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “D’Tigers are flying! Great team spirit, good basketball, and the hunger is back. Let’s go for the title!”
An NBBF official said in a statement: “We are proud of the boys. The coaching crew has done a fantastic job, and we are seeing the results on the court. This is the Nigeria we know.”
As D’Tigers prepare for the knockout phase, the coaching staff will be focused on improving game management and consistency across all four quarters. Though they showed dominance for most of the game, the drop in performance in the final quarter is something the team will look to fix before facing tougher opponents.
The AfroBasket 2025 is being hosted in Kigali, Rwanda, and features 16 of the best men’s basketball teams from across Africa. The tournament serves as a qualifier for the 2027 FIBA World Cup African qualifiers and offers crucial points in global rankings.
