Nigeria is heading into the final qualifying tournament knowing that D’Tigers must be at their best to make the cut for the Qatar 2026 FIBA World Cup.

D’Tigers have been drawn in Group E alongside Cameroon, South Sudan, Cabo Verde, Tunisia, and Guinea in what promises to be a highly competitive qualifying series.

Nigeria will begin its campaign against regional rivals Cameroon on August 27 before facing South Sudan on August 28 and concluding the opening qualifying window against Cabo Verde on August 30.

D’Tigers head into the qualifiers with a positive record against some of their group opponents, having won three of their four previous meetings with Cameroon and both of their earlier encounters against South Sudan. However, Cabo Verde remains a challenging opponent, with Nigeria recording just one win in six meetings.

The last 24 games, played across three different African cities, provided a clearer idea of where the remaining 12 nations stand.

While there have been no significant changes at the top, a few resurgences have opened up this qualifying campaign even further.

It is worth noting at this point that the difference in points between the highest and lowest ranked teams is just three points.

Ranked number nine in the Power Rankings, Cape Verde secured a second consecutive victory against Libya, but losses to South Sudan and hosts Cameroon in the second round of Group A mean they must find solutions quickly ahead of their Group E matches against Guinea, Tunisia and Nigeria.

Cape Verde are one of three teams in the second round with fewer than ten points, two behind the group leaders.

Ranked eighth, D’Tigers are one of the biggest winners of the last 24 games, as they arrived in Luanda with a renewed roster and head coach. They finished with a 3-0 record, which will give them a massive morale boost for the rest of the campaign.

The D’Tigers won all three of their games, largely thanks to their terrific and aggressive defence.

Every time they stepped onto the Arena Kilamba floor, they did so with desperation, and everything worked according to plan.

But to maintain the same poise, the D’Tigers need all the support they can get from corporate Nigeria and all stakeholders.

This much was said when Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) President, Musa Kida, yesterday, urged Nigerians to support the team’s quest to make the World Cup.

Kida urged basketball fans, corporate organisations, and well-meaning Nigerians to support the team as they embark on their quest to secure qualification for the next FIBA Basketball World Cup.

He said the backing of Nigerians would provide the needed motivation for the players and technical crew as they face some of Africa’s best basketball nations.

The NBBF president expressed confidence in the ability of the team to compete strongly, while calling for unity and support from Nigerians throughout the qualifying journey.

With qualification places at stake, D’Tigers will be aiming to make a strong start in Group E and put Nigeria in a favourable position for a place at the global basketball showpiece.