D’Tigers point guard Caleb Agada has admitted that Nigeria were not at their best during their 82-79 defeat to South Sudan, but insists there is still room for improvement as the team battles to keep its 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification hopes alive.
Nigeria suffered their second consecutive defeat in the current qualifying window on Friday, following Thursday’s 78-62 loss to Cameroon, leaving David Fizdale’s side under significant pressure ahead of their final game against Cape Verde.
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Agada acknowledged that D’Tigers struggled to maintain the energy and intensity required to overcome a South Sudan side that made a fast start and held its nerve in the closing stages.
“We lacked the energy to stay in the game,” Agada said.
“We were not ourselves for most of the game.”
South Sudan raced into a 30-19 lead after the opening quarter before Nigeria fought their way back into the contest. D’Tigers eventually turned the game around during the third quarter, but the Bright Stars responded strongly and secured the three-point victory.
The defeat was particularly painful because Nigeria had managed to push the game to the final moments, with Chimezie Metu and Josh Okogie both missing three-point attempts that could have sent the contest into overtime.
Agada, however, refused to use the result as an excuse, instead praising South Sudan for the way they approached the game.
“Credit to the Cameroonians for their work rate and energy,” he said after the earlier defeat, while his assessment of the South Sudan game similarly recognised the quality and intensity of Nigeria’s opponents.
South Sudan’s Marial Shayok led all scorers with 19 points, while Carlik Jones produced 11 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds as the Bright Stars maintained their position among the leading teams in Group E.
Nigeria were led by Chima Moneke, who finished with 16 points, while Chimezie Metu contributed 17 points and Josh Okogie added 14 points and eight rebounds.
For Agada, the priority now is to learn from the disappointing results rather than allow them to destroy the team’s confidence.
“We will continue to work on improving our game,” he said.
“There is room for improvement and we will get better.”
That improvement will be urgently needed because Nigeria’s position in Group E has become increasingly precarious.
D’Tigers entered the current window with a 4-2 record but have now slipped to 4-4 following the consecutive defeats to Cameroon and South Sudan.
Nigeria currently occupy fifth position in the group, with the top two teams qualifying automatically for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the best third-placed team across the two groups also earning a ticket.
The situation means Nigeria cannot afford another poor performance when they face Cape Verde on Sunday.
The Cape Verdeans are currently sixth in Group E with a 3-5 record and will also be desperate for victory, making the final game of the window another high-pressure encounter.
Despite the difficult situation, Agada believes D’Tigers can still respond.
The guard wants the players to use the disappointment as motivation and show the character required to remain in the qualification race.
For Nigeria, the equation is becoming increasingly simple: improve, respond and win, because after two straight defeats, there is little room left for another mistake.
