FIBA U-18 AfroBasket: Junior D’Tigers Finish Ninth After Back to Back Victories
Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigers have finished ninth at the 2026 FIBA U-18 AfroBasket after defeating Rwanda 75-48 in their classification playoff in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The victory on Thursday, August 13, capped a positive finish to the tournament for Nigeria, who had earlier recorded their first win by beating Morocco 84-76 in the ninth-to-12th-place classification round.
Nigeria dominated Rwanda from the opening exchanges and maintained control throughout the contest, eventually securing a convincing 27-point victory.
The result also extended Nigeria’s perfect record against Rwanda in the history of the FIBA U-18 African Championship.
The two countries had previously met at the 2024 edition, when Nigeria defeated Rwanda 78-61 in the seventh-place classification game.
Nigeria therefore remain unbeaten against Rwanda in their two meetings at the U-18 AfroBasket.
The Junior D’Tigers’ ninth-place finish comes after a difficult start to the 2026 tournament.
Nigeria went winless during the group phase, suffering defeats against Chad and Egypt before also losing to hosts Côte d’Ivoire.
They eventually found their footing in the classification stage, overcoming Morocco before completing their campaign with another emphatic victory against Rwanda.
Victor Endurance Sunday was among Nigeria’s key performers during the tournament, while the team also benefited from important contributions from Olakunle Aribo, Ekene Unekwe and Emmanuel Idornigie.
Although Nigeria missed out on a place in the quarter-finals, the back-to-back classification victories provided a strong response and ensured the Junior D’Tigers ended their campaign on a winning note.
With the 75-48 triumph over Rwanda, Nigeria finish ninth overall at the 2026 FIBA U-18 AfroBasket.
