D’Tigers suffered their second consecutive defeat in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers after South Sudan held on for an 82-79 victory on Friday at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Nigeria were forced to recover from an 11-point first-quarter deficit before briefly taking control in the third quarter, but South Sudan held their nerve in the closing stages to secure a three-point victory.
The Bright Stars made a fast start, producing a 9-0 run late in the opening quarter to turn a 15-14 deficit into a 25-15 lead before eventually ending the period 30-19 ahead.
D’Tigers gradually fought their way back, and their best spell came towards the end of the second quarter and early in the third. Caleb Agada led a 7-0 run that turned a 43-41 deficit into a 48-43 lead for Nigeria with 9:08 left in the third quarter.
South Sudan responded to regain control, and the game remained tightly contested into the final period.
