Nigeria’s D’Tigers may need to win all three matches in February 2027 to keep their hopes of qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup alive after dropping to fourth place in Group E.
The team have 14 points after the fourth window of the African qualifiers, trailing joint leaders Cameroon and South Sudan, who have 16 points each, and third-placed Guinea on 15. Tunisia are level with Nigeria on 14 points, while Cape Verde have 12.
The final qualification window, scheduled for 25 to 28 February 2027, will see Nigeria face Cameroon on 25 February, South Sudan on 26 February and Cape Verde on 28 February.
The fixtures present a difficult challenge for the Nigerians, particularly as Cameroon and South Sudan are directly above them in the standings.
Nigeria’s results in August dealt a blow to their campaign, with defeats to Cameroon, 78-62, and South Sudan, 82-79. They recovered with a 100-84 victory over Cape Verde, keeping them in contention.
Under the qualification format, results from the first round carry over into the second round. Nigeria entered the second phase with four wins and two defeats from Group C, giving them 10 points before the subsequent matches.
Their earlier results and point difference could prove important if teams finish level. Nigeria recorded a plus-30 points difference in the first round, helped by a 106-62 victory over Rwanda in Luanda.
However, winning their remaining matches may not be enough on its own, as Nigeria could also need favourable results from other teams to secure a qualification place.
The host cities and tip-off times for the February fixtures had not been announced at the time of publication.
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