Boluwatife Kehinde
Ahead of the opening phase of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African qualifiers, Nigeria has released a revamped 12-man roster for the international break.
Head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed confirmed the squad as Group C’s D’Tigers gear up to begin their campaign on Thursday in Tunis.
They will face Rwanda and Guinea on November 29 and 30 in back-to-back fixtures.
The squad also welcome Former Afrobasket captain Ike Nwamu returning as one of Nigeria’s most seasoned and influential players.
The full list features: Olisa Akonobi, Paul Dibal, Chingka Garba, Morris Udeze, Mike Nuga, Ike Nwamu, Christopher Obekpa, Jordan Ogundiran, Augustine Okafor, Stan Okoye, Ugo Simon, and Talib Zanna.
The African qualifying series will run from November 2025 to March 2027, featuring the 16 teams that reached Afrobasket 2025.
According to First Zealmedia Cast, the Nigeria Basketball Federation stated that the team is “locked and loaded” for the opening window, noting that the qualifiers present a chance for D’Tigers to reclaim their status in African basketball after several uneven performances in recent years.
D’Tigers are placed into four groups of four, competing in a double round-robin format. The top three teams from each group will progress to the second round.
Ranked eighth on FIBA Africa’s power index, Nigeria faces a challenging road as only five African teams will ultimately secure tickets to the World Cup in Doha.
In the next stage, the remaining 12 teams will be split into two groups of six, with first-round records carried forward. Each team will play six additional games, and only the top two from each group plus the best third-placed side will qualify for the World Cup.
D’Tigers ready for African qualifier after unveliing 12-man squad
