By Andrew Abah, Abuja
Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers have departed for Tunis, Tunisia, where they will begin their qualifying campaign in the Qatar 2027 FIBA World Cup.
Head Coach, Abdulrahaman Mohammed unveiled a strong 12-man roster, led by veteran guard and 2015 Afrobasket champion, Stanley Okoye, the team’s longest-serving player.
The roster blends overseas talents with home-based stars, reflecting Nigeria’s continued commitment to nurturing domestic talent.
Among the selected players are three home-based standouts, including two members of the newly crowned Nigerian champions Lagos Legends – Chinkpa Garba and Obekpa Chris, as well as Paul Dibal of Gboko City Chiefs, whose impressive form earned him a spot.
D’Tigers Team for the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers
1. Jordan Ogundiran – Denmark
2. Ike Nwamu – Ankara, Turkey
3. Mike Nuga – Canada
4. Simon Ugochukwu – Italy
5. Stanley Okoye – Spain
6. Paul Dibal – Gboko City Chiefs, Nigeria
7. Augustine Okafor – United Kingdom
8. Talib Zanna – USA
9. Chinkpa Garba – Lagos Legends, Nigeria
10. Obekpa Chris – Lagos Legends, Nigeria
11. Udeze Morris Chidera – Spain
12. Olisa Akinobi – USA
Technical Crew
• Head Coach: Abdulrahaman Mohammed (Nigeria)
• Assistant Coach: Akindele Ayodeji (USA)
• Assistant Coach: Job Nelson (Bahrain)
• Video Coach: Onyebuchi Onyeka (USA)
The 2027 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers will take place across five windows, from November 2025 to February 2027.
Sixteen teams that qualified for FIBA AfroBasket 2025 have been drawn into four groups of four.
Nigeria will compete in Group C, where they will face Rwanda, Guinea, and Tunisia.
