D’Tigers Edge Rwanda In Overtime To Revive World Cup Hopes

NIGERIA’S D’Tigers kept their FIBA World Cup qualification hopes alive with a gritty 75–69 overtime win against Rwanda in a tense Group C clash in Rades, Tunisia. The hard-fought victory marked Nigeria’s first win of the qualifiers and briefly eased pressure after two straight losses.

Rwanda started stronger, controlling the tempo and claiming the first two quarters 21–12 and 13–6. Nigeria regrouped after halftime with a dominant 20–9 third quarter but lost momentum again in the fourth, allowing Rwanda to claw back and tie the game 61–61 at regulation. In overtime, however, D’Tigers found a second wind, outscoring the Wasps 14–8 to finally close out the contest.

The result capped a dramatic weekend of Group C basketball. Earlier Sunday, Guinea stunned hosts Tunisia 66–57—continuing their unexpected run after upsetting Nigeria and Rwanda in earlier games. Nigeria had opened their own campaign with an overtime loss to Tunisia and followed with a disappointing 69–55 defeat to Guinea.

Despite recent inconsistency, D’Tigers remain one of Africa’s most successful basketball nations, boasting multiple Olympic and World Cup appearances and a historic AfroBasket title in 2015. Rwanda, still seeking their first World Cup qualification, have shown improvement but remain winless in the group.

After three games, Guinea lead Group C with a perfect record, followed by Tunisia. Nigeria sit third, while Rwanda occupy the bottom spot. The July qualification window will be pivotal as Nigeria face Tunisia, Guinea, and Rwanda once more—games that could determine whether their World Cup dreams stay alive.