To get their campaign back on track, Nigeria dug deep to pull off a 75-69 win over Rwanda, needing an extra period to secure their first victory in the World Cup Qualifiers and finish with a 1-2 after the first window.
Last Updated on
December 2, 2025
Nigeria's D'Tigers clawed their way to a thrilling 75-69 overtime victory against a tenacious Rwandan team in the ongoing FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifying series to register their first win. In a game that had fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer, the win wasn't straightforward, but it was a hard-fought battle that saw the lead swap hands seven times.
Morris Udeze put the team on his back with a performance to remember: 30 points and 11 rebounds, just controlling the paint whenever it mattered most. He got solid support from Stan Okoye and Ike Nwamu, who combined for another 29 points, keeping the scoreboard ticking when things got tight. For Rwanda, Dieudonne Ndiziye fought hard all game, finishing with 19 points and five rebounds, but it wasn't quite enough in the end.
Nigeria had got off to a poor start after Morris Udeze had managed to win the jump ball before turning over the ball ten seconds later, and Diedonne Ndizeye finished off that move with a brilliant shot from behind the arc as the East Africans drew the first blood. The Rwandans capitalised on early mistakes by DTigers, going on a 7-0 run before Udeze stopped the skid by converting one of two shots from the charity line, with the score now at 16-10. With about three minutes left on the clock, DTigers could manage only two more points, against Rwanda's six, as the first quarter closed out 21-12.
DTigers charged back to life in the second quarter and improved their overall play as they started staging a comeback after the East Africans had built a 13-point lead. But Ike Nwamu started the fightback when he made a three-point jump shot to begin a 12-0 run as the second quarter ended (13-6) in favour of the West Africans as they went into the break trailing by two points at 25-27.
The second half began with Nigeria regaining the lead after Paul Solomon took advantage of the free throw line, converting one of two, and Udeze finished off a fast break to go one point clear. It was Rwanda's turn to make mistakes, and DTigers took advantage to win 20-9 as they headed into the final quarter 45-36.
In what has become a norm for this Nigerian side in this series, Nigeria witnessed another poor showing in the final quarter, inexplicably allowing Rwanda back into the game, and they did enough to regain the lead.
Knowing fully well that at least a win is needed to improve their odds in this qualification series, they rallied back into the game, but poor game management almost cost the Coach Abdulahman-led side the game. They forced the game into overtime, with Rwanda leading by 3 seconds with 13 seconds left on the clock.
Jordan Ogundiran provided an assist to Morris Udeze with just four seconds left, and he proceeded to make a dunk but was fouled in the process. He eventually made the one shot awarded to tie the game at 61-61.
In overtime, with Nigeria having a mental edge over the Rwandans, Ogundiran drove in for a layup to give DTigers the lead, and Udeze drew a foul and sank two shots from the charity line to lead by four points. Kenny Manzi made a floating shot to reduce the deficit, while Stan Okoye hit a three-pointer to extend Nigeria's lead by five points. He then committed a technical foul, and Rwanda was awarded a point, which Steven converted.
Ogundiran then finished off a fastbreak after a turnover and stretched the lead to six points, but another series of turnovers saw the East Africans close the game to one point with a minute left on the clock. When the game was on the line in overtime, that relentless pressure finally paid off as forced turnovers became easy buckets. The D'Tigers found a way to pull ahead and seal a win that felt as earned as any victory could be with Nwamu, Okoye and Udeze combining for five points within a minute left on the clock to secure Nigeria's first win in the series.
The story of this game is told not just by the score, but by how each team fought for every point. Rwanda played a smart, disciplined game, working the ball inside to score a solid 36 points in the paint, then challenged Nigeria in the half-court, making them work for every defensive stop, even as Nigeria put up 28 points in the paint. Rwanda then went on to register 19 points off turnovers, as against Nigeria's eight, but the West Africans edged the fast-break stats with 22 points, as against Rwanda's 15.
In the end, it was Nigeria's fifth straight win over Rwanda. Though scrappy, the fans will accept it, even though it appears to be a real reflection of the game's status back home, depicting struggles on all fronts.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
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