D’Tigers point guard, Caleb Agada, has admitted that Nigeria were not at their best during their 82-79 defeat to South Sudan, but insists there is still room for improvement as the team battles to keep its 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification hopes alive.
Nigeria suffered their second consecutive defeat in the current qualifying window on Friday, following Thursday’s 78-62 loss to Cameroon, leaving David Fizdale’s side under significant pressure ahead of their final game against Cape Verde.
Agada acknowledged that D’Tigers struggled to maintain the energy and intensity required to overcome a South Sudan side that made a fast start and held its nerve in the closing stages.
“We lacked the energy to stay in the game,” Agada said. “We were not ourselves for most of the game.”
South Sudan raced into a 30-19 lead after the opening quarter before Nigeria fought their way back into the contest. D’Tigers eventually turned the game around during the third quarter, but the Bright Stars responded strongly to secure a three-point victory. The defeat was particularly painful, as Nigeria pushed the game to the final moments, with Chimezie Metu and Josh Okogie both missing three-point attempts that could have sent the contest into overtime.
