The senior men’s basketball team of Nigeria, D’Tigers, has landed in Tunis, Tunisia, to participate in the Qatar 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying games.
Abdulrahaman Mohammed, the Head Coach of the team, has disclosed the 12-man players, headed by the longest-serving player on the team, Stanley Okafor, a seasoned guard and 2015 Afrobasket Champion. The lineup features a balanced mix of foreign-based professionals and local talents, highlighting Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to developing home players.
Three standout players from the domestic league made the final roster, including Chinkpa Garba and Obekpa Chris—both from newly crowned Nigerian champions Lagos Legends—and Paul Dibal of Gboko City Chiefs, whose impressive performances secured his place.
The 2027 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers will unfold over five windows from November 2025 to February 2027. Sixteen teams that made it to FIBA AfroBasket 2025 have been placed into four groups. Nigeria, drawn in Group C, will compete against Rwanda, Guinea, and hosts Tunisia.
D’Tigers’ Roster for the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers:
Jordan Ogundiran (Denmark); Ike Nwamu (Turkey); Mike Nuga (Canada); Simon Ugochukwu (Italy); Stanley Okoye (Spain); Paul Dibal (Gboko City Chiefs, Nigeria); Augustine Okafor (United Kingdom); Talib Zanna (USA); Chinkpa Garba (Lagos Legends, Nigeria); Obekpa Chris (Lagos Legends, Nigeria); Udeze Morris Chidera (Spain); and Olisa Akinobi (USA).
Technical Crew:
Head Coach: Abdulrahaman Mohammed (Nigeria);
Assistant Coaches: Akindele Ayodeji (USA), Job Nelson (Bahrain);
Video Coach: Onyebuchi Onyeka (USA).
