Boluwatife Kehinde
Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, have suffered a sharp decline in the latest FIBA World Rankings, dropping 11 places to 53rd globally.
The update, released by the sport’s world governing body, reflects the outcome of this summer’s international competitions, including the AfroBasket 2025 tournament in Angola.
D’Tigers entered the rankings update with 297.8 points in March but now stand at 248.7, making them one of the biggest fallers alongside Morocco, Tunisia, Virgin Islands and Kosovo. On the continental ladder, the 2015 African champions slipped from sixth to eighth.
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Nigeria’s preparations for the Angola tournament were far from ideal, and despite a bright start, the team’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals. Under coach Mohammed Abdulrahman, D’Tigers topped Group B after impressive wins over Madagascar, three-time champions Tunisia, and Cameroon.
However, their momentum stalled in the knockout stage, where they were eliminated by Senegal following a 91–75 defeat. Caleb Agada, Josh Okogie, Stan Okoye, and Ike Nwamu stood out as key performers despite the loss.
The setback has now shifted focus toward the FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Series, which begins in November. Nigeria will be aiming to return to the global stage in 2027 when Qatar hosts the next edition.
The team last appeared at the World Cup in 2019 in China, missing out entirely on the 2023 tournament.
Elsewhere in Africa, South Sudan remains the top-ranked side on the continent with 446.7 points, though it slipped slightly on the world stage from 23rd to 24th. Newly crowned AfroBasket champions Angola surged to second in Africa and 29th worldwide. Ivory Coast, Egypt, Senegal, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Cameroon and Mali complete the top ten.
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On the global front, the United States maintains their dominance at number one with 845.8 points. World champions Germany hold second place, followed by Serbia, France and Canada.
For D’Tigers, the latest slump underlines the need for stability and stronger preparation if they are to reclaim their place among Africa’s elite and secure a long-awaited return to the World Cup.
