D’Tigers of Nigeria suffered their second straight defeat in the second round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers on Friday, August 28, losing 82-79 to South Sudan at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès in Tunisia. The Bright Stars held off a late Nigerian fightback to seal the three-point win, leaving D’Tigers with a difficult task in their push for a place at the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.
South Sudan dominated the opening stages and produced a 9-0 run late in the first quarter, turning a 15-14 deficit into a 25-15 lead before going into the second period 30-19 ahead. D’Tigers gradually found their rhythm after the break. Caleb Agada inspired a 7-0 run towards the end of the second quarter and into the third, helping Nigeria turn a 43-41 deficit into a 48-43 lead with 9:08 remaining in the third period.
The Bright Stars refused to let the advantage slip. Okogie levelled the score at 70-70 with a three-pointer with 7:03 left after South Sudan had edged ahead 70-67, but Wenyen Gabriel restored the lead for the Bright Stars 21 seconds later with a hook shot. Marial Shayok led South Sudan with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Nuni Omot added 13 points and Carlik Jones recorded 11 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Okogie top-scored for Nigeria with 14 points, eight rebounds and two assists.
The defeat followed Nigeria’s 78-62 loss to Cameroon on Wednesday in their opening game of the second round. D’Tigers now face Cape Verde on Sunday.
