D’Tigers of Nigeria claimed a hard-fought 75-69 victory over Rwanda in their third qualifying match for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, breaking a run of defeats in the series.
The game, played at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Tunisia on Sunday, remained tight until Nigeria pulled away in overtime to seal the win — their first after earlier losses to Tunisia and Guinea.
Nigeria struggled earlier in the qualifiers, marked by weak defence, poor offensive execution and frequent turnovers. The same pattern showed in the opening quarter against Rwanda, which ended 21-12 against them.
Their play improved in the second quarter, cutting the gap to 27-25 at halftime. D’Tigers carried that surge into the third quarter, taking the lead 45-36 before Rwanda rallied to force overtime.
Nigeria then held firm in the extra period, securing a crucial 6-point margin to keep qualification hopes alive. The team now sits third in Group C with one win from three games.
Each team in the group will meet again in the second phase of qualifiers, after which the top three will advance to the final round. From there, the top five African teams will earn places at the World Cup in Qatar, slated for August 27 to September 12.