Nigeria’s D’Tigers Beat Uganda in Comeback Display to Raise Hope of Qualification 

Duro Ikhazuagbe

Nigeria senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, displayed a ‘never say die’ spirit in the fourth quarter yesterday at the AfroBasket 2025 qualifying series in Tripoli, to beat Uganda 87-67.

After trailing the East Africans at halftime following their 16-12 and 18-16 losses in the first two quarters, D’Tigers began a fight back in the third quarter which they won with a slim 27-25 points victory.

They however put up a scintillating comeback display rare in African basketball to completely destroy the Ugandans 32-8 in the final fourth quarter inside the 

Grand Hall in Tripoli venue of the mini-tournament.

Going into the last match today against Cape Verde, yesterday’s defeat of Uganda has sort of reenergised the Nigerians on  the possibility of the hitherto bottom-placed D’Tigers to qualify for the next round.

With the previous matches played before coming to the Tripoli mini-tournament and the points earned here, D’Tigers now have seven points, the same as Uganda and Cape Verde going into today’s last Group B games.

Earlier on Friday, D’Tigers, overcame hosts Libya in Tripoli to open their Group B AfroBasket 2025 campaign.

The Nigerian team won 75-70 after similarly coming back from a 15-14 first-quarter loss. The Libyans took the second quarter with a 20-18 win before the Nigerian side bounced back by taking the third quarter with a 20-16 win.

They then wrap it up with a win of 23-19 to win overall 75-70.