D’Tigers fall 78-62 against Cameroon in W’Cup qualifiers

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D’Tigers made a poor start to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers, suffering a 78-62 defeat to Cameroon in their opening game at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Radès, Tunisia, on Thursday, The PUNCH reports.

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Yves Missi delivered a standout performance for Cameroon with 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks as the Central Africans secured a comfortable win.

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Coach David Fizdale’s team appeared to have started the game on the front foot, but their composure lasted only until midway through the first quarter, when Cameroon levelled the scores at 11-11 before opening up a nine-point lead.

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The decisive stretch unfolded with four minutes and 28 seconds left in the opening quarter, when Christian Koloko threw down a dunk to tie the score at 11-11 after Nigeria had briefly led 11-9. The play brought the teams level and marked the beginning of a momentum shift that would define the rest of the game.

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Cameroon won the first quarter 23-14 before D’Tigers managed to tie the second quarter 18-18. However, Nigeria were edged 19-16 in the third and 18-14 in the fourth as Cameroon secured a 16-point victory after controlling the game from the first half and never allowing Nigeria to seriously threaten down the stretch.

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Missi was the central figure for Cameroon, finishing with 24 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in 26:42 of action. He shot an efficient nine-of-13 from the field and six-of-eight from the line, posting an index rating of 30 and a plus/minus of +10.

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His emphatic dunks at 7:36 of the second quarter, which extended Cameroon’s lead to 27-17, and at 7:43 of the final quarter, which made it 65-50, helped the hosts first stretch their advantage and then keep Nigeria at a safe distance.

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Nigeria’s best run came early in the opening quarter, when they pieced together a 6-0 spurt from 8:54 to 7:54, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead. Ike Nwamu scored four points on two-of-two shooting, while Josh Okogie added two points from the line and grabbed a rebound during the stretch.

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Cameroon’s most significant run was a 13-0 surge late in the first quarter from 4:53 to 2:29, extending their lead from 11-7 to 20-11. It was a collective effort, with multiple players contributing on both ends of the floor.

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Following the result, D’Tigers’ quest to reach the 2027 World Cup in Qatar has become more demanding as they face South Sudan in their second game on Friday (today).

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They are currently fourth in Group E with 11 points, while Cameroon and South Sudan occupy the first two automatic qualifying spots for the World Cup.

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In addition to keeping their World Cup hopes alive, a strong finish in the African qualifiers could also boost D’Tigers’ chances of competing for a place in the FIBA pre-Olympic qualifying tournament.

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