D’Tigers, Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, have slipped to 53rd in the latest FIBA world rankings, falling 11 places from their previous 42nd position in March 2025. The new update comes after a busy summer of international basketball, including the recently concluded AfroBasket 2025 tournament in Angola.
Despite reaching the quarter-finals of AfroBasket, Nigeria’s performance was not enough to maintain their global standing. The former African champions also dropped on the continental chart, sliding from sixth to eighth with 248.7 points, down from 297.8 earlier in the year. Alongside Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Virgin Islands, and Kosovo were among the biggest fallers, while Mali, South Africa, Turkey, Cyprus, and Jamaica made impressive climbs.
Under the guidance of coach Mohammed Abdulrahman, D’Tigers had a mixed campaign. They topped Group B with six points after recording key wins against Madagascar, Tunisia, and Cameroon. However, their run ended in the quarter-finals with a 91–75 loss to Senegal. Notable players such as Caleb Agada, Josh Okogie, Stan Okoye, and Ike Nwamu delivered standout performances during the tournament.
Looking ahead, Nigeria’s focus now shifts to the FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifiers, which begin in November. The team is eager to secure a spot at the 2027 edition in Qatar, having missed out on the 2023 World Cup. Their last appearance on the global stage was in 2019 under former coach Alex Nwora.
Meanwhile, on the African scene, South Sudan remain the top-ranked team with 446.7 points, despite slipping one spot to 24th globally. Fresh AfroBasket champions Angola surged four places to 29th in the world and second in Africa, while Ivory Coast, Egypt, Senegal, Cape Verde, Tunisia, Cameroon, and Mali complete the top ten.
Globally, the United States continue to dominate at number one, followed by reigning world champions Germany, Serbia, France, and Canada.
