Nigeria’s males’s basketball group, D’Tigers, has introduced a 12-man squad for the opening window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African qualifiers, marking a decisive step within the nation’s bid to reclaim its continental standing after years of turbulence.
Head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed confirmed the roster forward of the group’s departure to Tunis, the place Nigeria will open its Group C marketing campaign on Thursday towards hosts Tunisia. The group additionally consists of Rwanda and Guinea, whom D’Tigers will face on November 29 and 30.
The squad options skilled campaigners akin to Stan Okoye, Ike Nwamu, and Talib Zanna, alongside rising home and worldwide abilities together with Olisa Akonobi, Jordan Ogundiran, and Morris Udeze. The mix of youth and expertise is seen as a deliberate technique by the technical crew to stabilize the group and construct momentum early within the qualification sequence.
Full Squad:
Olisa Akonobi, Paul Dibal, Chingka Garba, Morris Udeze, Mike Nuga, Ike Nwamu, Christopher Obekpa, Jordan Ogundiran, Augustine Okafor, Stan Okoye, Ugo Simon, Talib Zanna.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation described the group as “locked and loaded” for the problem forward, stressing that this qualification window provides a pivotal alternative to rebuild confidence and consistency. Nigeria, at present ranked eighth in Africa, is concentrating on a return to the worldwide stage after lacking the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
The African qualifiers, which run from November 2025 to March 2027, will see 16 Afrobasket groups compete in a rigorous double round-robin format. With solely 5 African tickets out there for the World Cup in Doha, D’Tigers face an arduous path: the highest three from every first-round group progress to the second section, the place outcomes carry over and solely the highest two groups from every of the ultimate teams — plus the perfect third-placed facet — safe qualification.
For Nigeria, the mission begins with securing early wins in Tunis to keep away from the stress that derailed earlier campaigns. The group’s final World Cup look got here in 2019, the place they exited within the first spherical, and their failure to qualify for the 2023 version stays a painful reminder of latest instability.
A robust begin in Group C might sign a long-awaited revival for D’Tigers as they appear to re-establish themselves amongst Africa’s basketball elite and return to the world stage in 2027.
