Group C Roundup: Nigeria Stuns Guinea In Luanda To Secure Second Round As Tunisia Ends Rwanda's Hopes

Nigeria moved within touching distance of the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers after Chimezie Metu's last-second basket sealed a dramatic 80-79 victory over previously unbeaten Guinea, while Tunisia kept pace with an emphatic 83-67 win over Rwanda as Group C edged closer to a thrilling finale in Luanda, Angola.

Barely 24 hours after upsetting Tunisia, D'Tigers produced another statement performance, overturning a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to snatch victory from Guinea in one of the most dramatic finishes of the qualifying campaign.

With Nigeria trailing 79-78 and the clock winding down, Metu calmly floated in the winning basket with three seconds remaining to complete a remarkable comeback and hand David Fizdale's side a second consecutive victory in the final qualification window. Guinea's Souleymane Boum Jr. had one final chance to steal the game but missed a desperation three-pointer from beyond half-court as the buzzer sounded.

‍

‍

Caleb Agada led Nigeria's offense with a game-high 22 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals, delivering another outstanding all-round display. Uche Iroegbu added 14 points and 6 assists without committing a turnover, while Metu, despite being well-contained for much of the contest, finished with nine points, eight rebounds and the basket that ultimately decided the game. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu also made a significant impact inside the paint, registering 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.

For Guinea, Sekou Doumbouya paced the West Africans with a game-high 23 points and 6 rebounds in the narrow loss while their guards Shannon Evans and Souleymane Jr. each finished with 18 points in the game.

Nigeria looked in control after opening an 11-point lead in the second quarter, but Guinea responded with an inspired fightback to take a 71-62 advantage early in the fourth. D'Tigers, however, refused to fold, producing a composed finish on both ends of the floor to secure a victory that transformed their qualification outlook.

Nigeria led 46-40 at halftime, but Guinea produced a scintillating fightback in the penultimate quarter to surge ahead in the game. The final period eventually saw Nigeria close out with an 18-11 advantage, capped by Metu’s clutch game-winner but fell just short in a game that will be remembered for its dramatic finish.

This game delivered a thrilling final five minutes as Nigeria outscored its opponents 7-4 down the stretch. D’Tigers then converted 3-of-4 from two-point range in crunch time, while Guinea struggled despite their glass control but could not capitalize going forward and eventually allowed Nigeria to edge the tie when it mattered most.

Nigeria assistant coach David Vanterpool had good words about his team after the win and admitted that the team's mission is not done yet in Luanda, 

“They were able to fight together, fight in frustration; they were able to stand a good Guinea team, coming back and taking an eleven-point lead and still get off the floor and get the win. I just give a lot of credit to our guys; they showed so much heart, resilience, determination and togetherness."

"Our goal was to come here and win three games. The job is not done, we still have a lot of work to do; We are going back to the drawing board to continue preparing this team," Vanterpool added.

Later in the day, Tunisia bounced back from Thursday's defeat to Nigeria by defeating Rwanda 83-67 to also secure their place in the second round.

Firas Lahiani starred for the North Africans with a dominant double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds, adding 4 assists in a commanding performance with Omar Abada helping to control the game’s tempo with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Yacine Toumi also contributed 13 points and eight rebounds as Tunisia pulled away in the second half.

Rwanda briefly threatened to seize momentum after overturning an early 12-point deficit to edge ahead late in the second quarter, but Tunisia responded immediately, regained control before halftime and never looked back. Cadeau de Dieu Furaha was Rwanda's standout performer, finishing with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals.

With Friday's results, the race for qualification from Group C is set for a dramatic conclusion. Guinea remain top despite suffering their first defeat of the campaign, while Nigeria's back-to-back victories under Fizdale have secured a spot in the next round as they aim to return to a world stage competition for the first time since the 2021 Olympics. Tunisia also remain firmly in contention following their convincing response against Rwanda, whose qualification hopes have now been extinguished.

Attention now turns to Sunday's decisive final round of fixtures, where Nigeria face Rwanda and Guinea and Tunisia meet in a clash that will determine the final standings in an increasingly competitive Group C.

‍

(Photography courtesy of FIBA)