By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria and South Sudan have won their opening-day matches in the ongoing 2025 FIBA Afrobasket qualifier in Tripoli, Libya.
While Nigeria beat host side Libya 75-70, South Sudan defeated Morocco 69-37.
The match saw the Nigerian team rally after trailing 35-32 at half-time.
After a slow start, Nigeria bounced back in the second half, outscoring Libya 20-16 in the third quarter and 23-19 in the fourth.
Key performances came from Caleb Agada, who posted a double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Kaodirichi Akobundi-Ehiogu added nine points and nine rebounds, while captain Ike Nwamu contributed seven assists, six rebounds, and seven points.
Libya’s Basem Albebas led all scorers with 23 points and eight rebounds, but it was not enough to secure a win for his team.
This victory gives the D’Tigers a chance to advance, but they must now win their remaining two games in this window.
Despite the win, Nigeria, in Group B, is still at the bottom of their group with a 1-3 record. They need to beat both Uganda and Cape Verde to stand a chance of qualifying for the tournament, which will be hosted in Angola later this year.
They face Uganda on Saturday and Cape Verde on Sunday.
Uganda defeated Cape Verde 63-60 on Friday, making the group competitive.
Group Results
Group A
Mali 59 – 65 DR Congo
Morocco 37 – 69 South Sudan
Group B
Uganda 63 – 60 Cape Verde
Libya 70 – 75 Nigeria
Group C
Gabon 65 – 82 Cameroon
Rwanda 73 – 96 Senegal
Group D
Central African Republic 71 – 75 Egypt
Madagascar 73 – 106 Côte d’Ivoire
Group E
Guinea 66 – 65 Angola
Kenya 0 – 20 Tunisia
