Nigeria’s D’Tigers Beat Cameroon to Top Group B, Qualify for Q’finals

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeria’s D’Tigers completed their Group B campaign of the 2025 FIBA Men’s Afrobasket in Luanda, Angola with an impressive 3-0 record, defeating Cameroon 99-90 in their third game to win the group and bag the ticket to the quarterfinals.

Expectedly, the Cameroonian Lions didn’t concede the ticket without a fight. Until last night, the Lions were unbeaten in two games and were full of hopes to reach the knockout by direct qualification. That however became Mission Impossible against the solid Nigerian D’Tigers in that crucial last game of Group B.

It was indeed a tough opening quarter as high-flying D’Tigers won it  by just three points at  28-25. Christian Mekwolu led the scoring for the D’Tigers with six points, all coming from three-point range, while Cameroon’s Jeremiah Hill had seven points. Signs were already there in the first quarter that the barely 2,000 fans in attendance were in for a high-scoring game.

In the second quarter, D’Tigers who were more interested in direct qualification to the quarterfinals rather than going through the playoffs, if beaten, upped their game. Caleb Agada who plays for Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya, capped the second quarter scoring 10 points which included a three pointer while Mekwolu added six including a three pointer to end it 32-16. 

The third quarter was a blowout for the glory-seeking Nigerians who are looking to replace their 2015 feat by winning the continental showpiece. 

NBA star and Houston Rockets’ latest signing, Josh Okogie, and Stan Okoye of MoraBanc Andorra in the Spanish Basketball League, propelled Nigeria to the must-win encounter, combining for 30 Nigeria points. The third quarter ended 26-12 for Nigeria.

However, the Cameroonian Lions who the D’Tigers knocked out in the quarterfinals of the 2017 tournament, appeared to have found the magic wand to unlock the Nigerians and stop their three pointers in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by as many as 34 points however required a Herculean effort from the Lions. They put up spirited efforts and the fight back paid off with a 37-15 win. It however came too late as the edge gained by D’Tigers in the first three quarter could not be wiped out. It was however a dangerous gamble for the Nigerians to take their legs off the pedal to allow such massive loss in that final 10 minutes of their last game of Group B.

Nigeria’s 15 three-pointers were the most by any team in the tournament so far.

Nigeria had six players score in the double digits. It therefore was not surprising as Josh Okogie who led the D’Tigers with 16 points was selected as the Player of the Game with Cameroon. He also clocked 2 rebounds and 24 assists to stay top of the leaderboard. Agada scored 15 points with Okoye finishing with 14. Mekwolu and Ike Nwamu each contributed 12, with  Martins Igbannu adding 10 points.

Cameroon were led by Fabien Ateba with 19 points and Yves Missi with 18. Jeremiah Hill left the game with a knee injury after scoring 16 points, and Samir Gbetkom scored 13.

Speaking after the game, Stan Okoye expressed his disappointment with how Nigeria finished the fourth quarter beaten.

“We were a little disappointed because we were a little flat in the end. We have learn to close out games and let teams come back like that. It was really great to knock down shots, but we could have done better on defence and taken better care with the turnovers,” concludes Okoye.