Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, has fallen four places in the latest FIBA rankings, moving from 39th to 42nd position worldwide.
The team earned 299.7 points in the current review period, placing them sixth in Africa.
South Sudan surged from 34th to 23rd, becoming the top-ranked African team and surpassing Cote d’Ivoire. Angola, Tunisia, and Egypt round out the top five African teams.
In global rankings, Olympic champions the U.S. retained their top spot, while Serbia climbed to second place, displacing Germany.
Basketball enthusiasts are urging the team to take immediate action to regain its former prominence. Femi Olatubosun expressed concern, stating, “D’Tigers have fallen out of contention and are no longer the competitive team we knew.
I urge the federation to arrange friendly matches before the Africa Cup qualifiers begin.”
Anthony Bernard echoed similar sentiments, criticizing the federation’s perceived neglect of the team. “D’Tigers’ drop in rankings reflects the federation’s lack of support.
The team needs friendly matches to gather points and reclaim their top spot in Africa and the world,” he said.
D’Tigers, who were once the top African team before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, remain the only African team to have defeated the U.S. national team.
