Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, clinched a crucial 75-70 win against Libya on Friday night in Tripoli, marking their first victory in the second qualifying window of the Afrobasket qualifiers.
Despite a slow start that saw them trailing 15-14 at the end of the first quarter, Nigeria fought back to overturn a halftime deficit. Libya maintained a 35-32 lead at the break, but D’Tigers responded with a strong second half, outscoring their opponents 20-16 in the third quarter and 23-19 in the fourth to secure the win.
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Caleb Agada led the team with a double-double, posting 14 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Talib Zanna also contributed 14 points and seven rebounds, while Zaid Hearst added 11 points. Kaodirichi Akobundi-Ehiogu came close to a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds, while captain Ike Nwamu recorded seven points, six rebounds, and a game-high seven assists.
Libya’s Basem Albebas delivered a game-high 23 points and eight rebounds, but his effort was not enough to stop Nigeria. Mohamed Sadi and Sofian Hamad added 17 and 12 points, respectively, for the Libyan side.
D’Tigers, who failed to win a single match in the previous qualifying window, must now win all three of their remaining games to keep their hopes of reaching the Afrobasket tournament in Angola alive. Their next challenges are Uganda on Saturday and Cape Verde on Sunday.
Uganda secured a narrow 63-60 victory over Cape Verde earlier in the day, making the group even more competitive.
Despite their win, Nigeria remains at the bottom of Group B with a 1-3 record, needing a flawless finish to qualify for the tournament.
