Cameroon outclass clueless D’Tigers in World Cup Qualifiers

...Coach Fizdale admits Nigeria must improve final details of its game

...D’Tigers' guard Agada concedes Nigeria lacks energy, intensity 

 

By Maxwell Kumoye and Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye 

 

Nigeria’s D’Tigers suffered a disappointing start to the second round of the 2027 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers in Tunisia, falling 78-62 to Cameroon on Thursday.

The Indomitable Lions seized control from the opening quarter, racing to a 23-14 lead before Nigeria responded with an 18-18 second period. 

Cameroon maintained the advantage after the interval, winning the third quarter 19-16 before putting the game beyond doubt with a dominant 18-14 final quarter.

The decisive stretch unfolded with 4:28 left in the opening quarter, when Christian Koloko threw down a dunk under the basket to tie the score at 11-11 after Nigeria had briefly led 9-11. 

That play brought the teams level and marked the beginning of a momentum shift that would define the rest of the game.

From 6:05 of the first quarter to 2:42 of the second, Cameroon outscored Nigeria 35-21. During that span, Cameroon knocked down 5-of-11 from deep and converted 8 free throws, while Nigeria struggled, going just 7-of-32 from the field and failing to record an assist.

Cameroon’s ball movement and defensive pressure set the tone, and Nigeria never recovered.

Nigeria struggled for rhythm throughout the contest, particularly from long range, as the D’Tigers converted just eight of 45 attempts from three-point range.

Head coach David Fizdale admitted his team failed to perform at the level expected but pointed to the number of shots Nigeria created as one positive from the defeat.

“We could have played better, but when you look at the stat sheet, we got 15 more shots than they did. We went eight for 45 from three. I would have never anticipated us shooting the ball that poorly,” Fizdale said.

Nigeria’s best run came early in the opening quarter, when they pieced together a 6-0 spurt from 8:54 to 7:54, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 6-2 lead. 

Ike Nwamu scored 4 points on 2-of-2 shooting, while Josh Okogie added 2 points from the line and grabbed a rebound during the stretch.

The American coach expects a sharp response from his players in their next outing, while acknowledging Cameroon’s disciplined approach.

“I expect us to shoot the ball a lot better going into the next game. They did a great job defending us and executing their game plan. I thought they were really ready to go,” he added.

Fizdale also admitted Nigeria must improve the final details of its game after Cameroon repeatedly exposed weaknesses on both ends of the court.

“There are some details to the stuff that we do that we have to get better at and clean up, learn from this game and move forward,” he said.

D’Tigers guard Caleb Agada also conceded that Nigeria lacked the energy and intensity required for such a physical African encounter.

“You might be right, but honestly, give credit to them. They came, they played. They outplayed us today. I think we might have been lacking energy,” Agada admitted.

“We weren't ourselves today, but they came out and executed and did what they needed to do. We just need to be better. The onus is on ourselves, and we just have to perform better.”

Fizdale was particularly unhappy with Nigeria’s inability to contain Cameroon’s interior threat, acknowledging that his players were repeatedly left in difficult one-on-one situations.

“No, we did not do a good job on him at all. We left our guys on the island too many times where he was looking at one-on-one, but we also didn't take the challenge one-on-one very well,” he said.

“I expect our competition level to be a lot better going into the next game.”

Agada, identified Nigeria’s over-reliance on three-point shooting as another major problem.

“One of the biggest things about African basketball is settling for the three, and teams who settle for the three usually don't end up in the position that they want to be in,” he said.

“You can see from the box score that we shot a lot more threes and made a lot less. Definitely moving forward, it's getting in the paint as much as possible.”

With Nigeria facing South Sudan next, Fizdale said the team would turn to the game film to identify and correct its mistakes.

“I will not be telling you that. Don't reveal the secret,” he joked when asked what he would change before the next game.

“But the good part is our guys, we all own it. We didn't perform at the level that we expected ourselves to perform.”

“Without taking anything away from them, we think we could have played a lot better basketball individually and collectively, and I think I could have coached a better game for them.”

The coach added: “We're going to go back and watch the film, because the film tells you the truth. Right now we're going off our memories. Some of the stuff that you think happened may not have happened. So we go to the truth machine and we'll study the film and get ready for a really good basketball team in South Sudan.”

For Agada, the immediate task is restoring the team’s identity and confidence.

“This is not how we use to play. This is not who we are. This isn't our identity,” he said.

“I know how I'm feeling is how everybody else is feeling, and it's on us to come in and change that.”

The defeat leaves D’Tigers with little room for complacency as they regroup for their next qualifying assignment against South Sudan.

Missi was the central figure for Cameroon, finishing with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks in just 26:42 of action. He shot an efficient 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-8 from the line, posting an index rating of 30 and a +10. 

His emphatic dunks at 7:36 of the second quarter (for 17-27) and at 7:43 of the final quarter (for 50-65) helped Cameroon first stretch the lead and then keep Nigeria at a safe distance.

Jeremiah Hill added 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals in 32:33, recording an efficiency of 20 and a team-best +18. 

Tamenang Choh contributed 6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in 24:37, finishing with an efficiency of 12 and a +17. 

On the other side, Caleb Agada led Nigeria with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in 22:11, but shot just 4-of-15 from the field, ending with an efficiency of 13 and a -2.

With this result, Cameroon demonstrated their control and composure, riding Missi’s dominant play and a balanced team effort to a comfortable win over Nigeria. 

The victory keeps Cameroon firmly in the hunt as the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers continue.

Additional information by FIBA