D’Tigers coach rallies team ahead of Tunisia showdown

By Tosin Omojola –

Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, will seek to deliver an improved performance when they face Tunisia in their second Group B fixture at the ongoing AfroBasket Championship in Luanda, Angola.

Head coach Mohammed Abdulrahman has assured fans that the team will be more clinical against the North Africans, despite securing a 77-59 win over Madagascar in Wednesday’s opener.

Speaking after the match at the Pavilhão Multiusos de Luanda, Abdulrahman admitted the victory fell short of his expectations, noting that Tunisia, who beat Nigeria in the previous edition, would pose a tougher challenge.

“We were a bit sloppy in the first two quarters, giving up too many points in transition. They ran at us and used their strength well. We made the necessary adjustments in the third quarter and improved,” the coach said.

He emphasised that lessons from the Madagascar game had been taken on board, with strategic adjustments made to counter Tunisia’s technical style.

“We slowed them down to play half-court offence, and that allowed us to force them into several mistakes,” Abdulrahman added.

The coach stressed the importance of combining tactical discipline with fresh ideas to secure victory over the Tunisians.

D’Tigers will be aiming for back-to-back wins today before their final group match against Cameroon on Sunday.