D’Tigers of Nigeria opened its Window 1 campaign of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers with an 88–78 overtime loss to hosts Tunisia, at the Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès on Thursday.
Despite having less than 48 hours of training, D’Tigers started brightly, edging Tunisia 15–12 in a low-scoring first quarter. The hosts responded strongly in the second quarter, outscoring Nigeria 23–17 to take a 35–32 lead into halftime.
Nigeria regained momentum in the third quarter, finishing the period 21–18 to tie the game at 53–53. The Nigerians then opened the fourth quarter with four quick points to take the lead, but Tunisia clawed their way back into the contest with four minutes remaining.
Oussama Marnaoui’s three-pointer with 1:13 left gave Tunisia a 73–70 advantage and appeared to set the hosts on course for victory. However, veteran Stan Okoye answered with a huge triple of his own with 15 seconds left to tie the game.
Okoye had a chance to win it at the buzzer but missed, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra period, Tunisia outscored D’Tigers 15–5 to seal the victory, finishing the game 88–78 thanks to much-needed three-pointers from Omar Abada and Oussama Marnaoui.
Talib Zanna led the D’Tigers with a team-high 22 points, adding six rebounds and three assists. Morris Udeze was the only other Nigerian in double figures, contributing 10 points, while Olisa Akonobi, Ike Nwamu, and Stan Okoye each chipped in nine points.
It was a big day for Tunisia’s point guard Omar Abada, who scored a game-high 29 points, alongside four rebounds and five assists. Shooting guard Oussama Marnaoui added 24 points and five rebounds.
Nigeria’s lack of preparation showed, as the D’Tigers committed 25 turnovers compared to Tunisia’s nine. The hosts capitalised on the mistakes, scoring 27 points off turnovers.
Up next, D’Tigers will face Guinea in their second game of the qualifiers as they look to bounce back from their opening-day defeat and improve their standing on the qualification log.