
Nigeria's senior men's basketball team, D'Tigers, secured an 84-81 victory over Tunisia in a Group C game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers in Luanda, Angola. This win marked a successful debut for newly appointed head coach David Fizdale. D'Tigers started strong, leading 23-21 in the first quarter, but Tunisia responded by winning the second quarter 23-20, leveling the score at halftime. Nigeria regained the lead in the third quarter with a 21-19 score and maintained a 20-18 advantage in the final period to clinch the win. This victory significantly enhances Nigeria's prospects for qualifying for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar. D'Tigers are scheduled to play Guinea on Friday and Rwanda on Sunday, with further wins expected to bolster their qualification hopes.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.

Ghana's coach, Carlos Queiroz, stated on Thursday that his team has a "duty" to ensure an African side reaches the World Cup round of 16. This comes after several African teams faced knockout defeats. Queiroz, managing in his fifth consecutive World Cup, led Ghana into the last 32 as one of the top third-placed teams. While a record nine African nations progressed from the group stage, only Morocco has advanced to the last 16, with Senegal, Ivory Coast, and DR Congo eliminated. Queiroz highlighted the challenge, stating, "It is on our shoulders to be sure that we add another African team to the next round. That’s our duty." He praised his players' bravery, noting their commitment to "fight until the end." Ghana's captain, Jordan Ayew, recalled the team's 2010 World Cup quarter-final run and expressed confidence against Colombia, stating, "We will definitely make Africa proud and Ghana proud."
Must ReadPresident Bola Tinubu, speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima, emphasized the need for West Africa to transition from a regional market to a regional production base during the inauguration of the new Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja. He stated that the new complex, dubbed the “Eye of Africa,” symbolizes a renewed commitment to regional integration, peace, industrialization, and shared prosperity. Tinubu highlighted ECOWAS's progress in peacebuilding, democratic governance, and economic cooperation, but also acknowledged significant challenges such as terrorism, economic vulnerability, and food insecurity. He stressed that future integration must focus on practical economic transformation, deeper industrialization, stronger regional value chains, and expanded intra-regional trade. The President also addressed the withdrawal of three member states, noting that regional integration now encompasses collective security, political stability, and sustainable development. He commended the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone, and the ECOWAS Commission for their leadership and the successful completion of the project. Both Tinubu and Bio expressed gratitude to the Government of the People's Republic of China for financing the new headquarters. Dr. Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, and Yu Dunhai, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, also spoke, emphasiz
Must ReadThe United States has withdrawn most of its forces deployed for a joint counterterrorism operation in Nigeria's Lake Chad Basin, while continuing intelligence sharing and other security cooperation with Nigeria. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, Commander of US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, stated that the specific military operation concluded, but Washington remains committed to supporting Nigeria through intelligence collaboration at the Nigerian government's request. Anderson highlighted that this operation disrupted the ISIS network and that the partnership with Nigeria, a capable country with a strong military, has yielded significant results. He cited a successful operation against the second-in-command of the ISIS global network, attributing it to US intelligence support combined with Nigerian military efforts. This success, he noted, demonstrates the value of intelligence cooperation over long-term foreign military deployments. Anderson also advocated for stronger intelligence sharing among African countries to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking, and other transnational crimes, citing a recent interception of a 31-ton cocaine shipment as an example of effective communication and partnerships. The US had deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to support intelligence, surveillance, and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin, following Nigeria's redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern by then-US President Donald Tr