FIBA World Cup Qualifier: Nigeria Walks Tight Rope As Angola Beat D'Tigers

The chances of Nigeria’s national men’s basketball team, D’Tigers to qualify for the next FIBA World Cup became slimmer as they lost to Angola on Sunday afternoon in group E FIBA World Cup Qualifier encounter, BSNSports.com.ng can report.

D'Tigers fell 67-70 to remain in 4th position with 10 points same points with Third placed team, Cape Verde.

Coach Mfon Udoh’s men had bounced back from their defeat to Ivory Coast on Friday to record their third win of the ongoing FIBA qualifiers against Guinea 89-70.

The game saw an improved performance from the D’Tigers as they comfortably registered a victory at the City Arena in Abidjan.

The win also boosted the team’s chances of picking one of the five tickets set aside for African teams at the 2023 World Cup taking place from August 25 to September 10 in Japan, Indonesia and in the Philippines but Sunday's defeat to Angola meant Nigeria will struggle to qualify for the World Cup.

Ivory Coast lead Group E with a superior 12 points same points with Angola (12) after beating Nigeria on Sunday. Cape Verde occupied third place and Nigeria fourth with 10 points each.

At the end of these additional six games per team in this Second round, the two top teams in each group, along with the best third-placed team, will qualify to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

The qualification process follows the FIBA Competition System successfully used for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.