The D’Tigers, Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, defeated Madagascar 77-59 on Wednesday in Luanda, Angola, to start their FIBA AfroBasket 2025 campaign.
D’Tigers took the lead from the first tip in the match, which was contested at the Pavilhão Multiusos de Luanda. By the end of the first quarter, they had increased their lead to 38-27 after winning 18-4. They increased the lead with a strong third quarter (20–9) before ending the game with a final period of 22–13.
Nigeria converted 48% of their field goal attempts compared to 35% for Madagascar, demonstrating their superior shooting ability. With 40 rebounds against their opponents’ 31 rebounds, the D’Tigers also dominated the boards.
In just over 25 minutes on the court, guard Caleb Agada led the scoring with 22 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
Stan Okoye, a seasoned forward who played for Nigeria in the 2015 AfroBasket, finished with 13 points and five rebounds. At either end of the floor, Talib Zanna and Ike Nwamu also made significant contributions.
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Raharimanana was the star for Madagascar, scoring 20 points, but the Nigerians’ depth and experience were too great for him to cause any problems.
Nigeria’s victory gives them a head start in Group B, where they are paired with Cameroon, the 2017 bronze medallists, and Tunisia, the reigning champions. On Friday, August 15, the D’Tigers will play Tunisia; on Sunday, August 17, they will play Cameroon.
Mohammed Abdulrahman, the team’s interim head coach and former assistant coach, is in charge of leading the squad through the group stage.
One gold medal (2015), four silvers (1997, 1999, 2003, 2017), and three bronzes (1995, 2005, 2011) are among Nigeria’s AfroBasket accomplishments.
