W’Cup qualifiers: Nwamu faults D’Tigers lack of preparation

Nigeria’s D’Tigers have been forced to reflect on a difficult start to the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, with American-born Nigerian guard Ikechukwu Nwamu pointing to a lack of preparation and team cohesion as key factors in their struggles, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Nwamu acknowledged that many of the team’s three-point attempts came from rushed decisions and poor spacing, a consequence of limited preparation time.

“We didn’t really have enough time, and there were a lot of changes from AfroBasket and the qualifiers. It’s almost like we have a new team, and sometimes we settled a little because we weren’t fully organised,” he said in an interview posted by to BballNaija on X.

He added that turnovers were frequent due to a lack of organisation and that the squad is still adjusting as players become familiar with one another.

Nwamu expressed optimism, however, that correcting spacing issues and improving execution would be crucial going forward.

“We’re still getting to know each other as a team, and there are a lot of guys we are just becoming familiar with,” Nwamu said.

The D’Tigers currently face a precarious situation in Group C, having recorded just one win from their first three matches. Their campaign began with an 88-78 overtime defeat to hosts Tunisia, followed by a 69-55 loss to Guinea, marking the latter’s first-ever win over Nigeria.

The team’s only victory came against Rwanda in a 75-69 overtime contest, propelled by Morris Udeze’s 30-point performance, the highest individual tally in the first window of the qualifiers.

Despite their rocky start, Nigeria remain in contention to progress to the second round. The top three teams from each group will advance, carrying forward results into the next phase, where only the top two in each group and the best third-placed team will secure World Cup qualification.

Currently ranked eighth in FIBA’s African power rankings, the D’Tigers are under pressure to restore their status after missing the 2023 edition and exiting in the first round in 2019.