Nigeria’s D’Tigers boosted their chances of reaching the next round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers after edging Tunisia 84-81 in a thrilling encounter on Thursday in Luanda, Angola, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The victory was Nigeria’s second of the qualifying campaign, bouncing back from two defeats in the previous qualifying window to keep their hopes alive.
In November, Tunisia defeated Nigeria 88-78 after overtime on home soil in the first round of Group C. However, Thursday’s rematch in the Angolan capital marked a fresh start for the D’Tigers under new head coach David Fizdale.
D’Tigers made a bright start, taking the opening quarter 23-21, but Tunisia responded by claiming the second quarter 23-20 to leave the teams level at halftime.
The contest remained closely fought after the break, with Nigeria regaining the initiative by winning the third quarter 21-19 before holding their nerve in the final period, taking it 20-18 to secure a hard-fought three-point victory.
