November 29, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s D’Tigers advanced to the second round of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers after a commanding 95-69 victory over Uganda. The D’Tigers finished the first round with two wins and one loss.
Following a lacklustre performance at the FIBA Afrobasket earlier this year, newly appointed Head Coach Julius Nwosu recalled captains Ike Diogu and Ben Emelogu for the three-game series in Angola.
Following numerous complications involving Ben Emelogu, Jordan Ogundiran, and Owen Oriakhi, who had to travel to Angola without Federation assistance, the D’Tigers only had nine of the 12 invited players available for the first game against Cape Verde.
D’Tigers were defeated 79-71 by Cape Verde in their first game, placing them at a disadvantage in the group from the start and in a worrying position as it was the latest in a run of defeats on the continent.
But, Nigeria rallied to beat Mali 72-70 in the second game, with Ogundiran shooting a game-winning three at the clock and drawing a foul to give Nigeria a two-point victory. Ogundiran and Ike Diogu combined for 19 points, while Ben Uzoh added 11 points.
On Sunday, D’Tigers crushed Uganda 95-69 in the last game to advance to the second round of qualification with a 2-1 record. Diogu, the 38-year-old captain, had a fantastic game, scoring 27 points on 6-of-7 shooting and grabbing ten rebounds.
The D’Tigers led Uganda 53-37 at halftime and finished the job in the second half to eliminate Uganda from the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, while they advance to the next rounds.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
