LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Nigeria’s D’Tigers have secured a crucial 84-81 victory over Tunisia in window 3 of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers to record their second win of the campaign, voiceofnaija.ng reports.
In November, Tunisia overcame Nigeria 88-78 in overtime on home soil in the first round of Group C.
However, their rematch on Thursday in the Angolan capital marked a new beginning for D’Tigers.
The D’Tigers arrived in Luanda with a 1-2 record and questionable chances of advancing far in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.
However, their late 16-10 run helped them clinch victory while reflecting their determination to turn things around.
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Metu led the way for Nigeria with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists in 24 minutes and 14 seconds, posting an efficiency of 17 shots.
Metu made 6 baskets in the 11 shots he took from the field, including 3-of-7 from deep.
His inside-out scoring provided a steady option, and he added 6 crucial points in crunch time.
Guard Ike Iroegbu matched him with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals in 25 minutes and 54 seconds, going 9-of-11 from the line and delivering a decisive late burst.
Wes Iwundu contributed 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals, while Uche Iroegbu came off the bench to score 13 points with an efficiency of 13 and a team-best +11 plus/minus.
On the other side, Tunisia’s Omar Abada finished with a game-high 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, adding an efficiency of 24 and a +4 plus/minus.
After the game D’Tigers head coach David Fizdale revealed that the team made mistakes but they worked hard to grab the win.
“We did a lot of things wrong. We made a lot of mistakes that these guys have never made.
“Collective and physical toughness down the stretch won us the game”, Fizdale acknowledged.
Nigeria remain third on the group standings with two wins and two losses.
They will now face group leaders Guinea in Friday’s opening game in Luanda.
