D’Tigers head coach, David Fizdale, has announced a 12-man squad for Nigeria’s second-round campaign in the 2027 FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria will regroup in Tunisia later this month for the fourth qualifying window as they continue their push for a place at the tournament in Qatar.
The squad features Chimezie Metu, Josh Okogie, Caleb Agada, Stan Okoye, Chima Moneke, Ike Nwamu, Udoka Azubuike, Efe Abogidi, Ebuka Izundu, Manny Obaseki, Jordan Ogundiran and Michael Efevberha.
Fizdale will be supported by Dan Craig, Quinton Crawford, Deji Akindele and Dapo Adegbile as the coaching staff prepares the team for three important fixtures.
One of the major talking points is the return of Moneke, who is set to make his first appearance for Nigeria in an official senior international game since featuring in the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers in February 2021.
The forward had previously been included in preliminary squads for major tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics, but failed to make the final teams and has remained absent from D’Tigers’ official matches since.
Nigeria secured passage to the second round after the first three qualifying windows, held in November 2025, February 2026 and July 2026.
The results from the opening round will carry over into the second phase, increasing the importance of every fixture as the teams battle for World Cup qualification.
Nigeria are in a group with Cameroon, South Sudan, Guinea, Tunisia and Cape Verde.
During the upcoming window, D’Tigers will play Cameroon on August 27, South Sudan on August 28 and Cape Verde on August 30.
The second round consists of six additional matches across two windows, with the final window scheduled for February 2027.
At the end of the qualifiers, the top two teams in each group and the best third-placed team will earn tickets to the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
Five African teams are expected to qualify for the global tournament.
