Nigeria D’Tigers drop to 53rd in latest FIBA rankings, falling three places globally but remain in contention for 2027 World Cup qualification

Nigeria men’s national basketball team, popularly known as D’Tigers, have slipped three places to 53rd in the latest FIBA world rankings released on Thursday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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Nigeria fall from 50th globally and remain eighth on the African continent, with 271.2 ranking points.

The drop makes the D’Tigers joint second-biggest fallers among African teams, alongside Tunisia, who fell three places to 52nd.

Rwanda recorded the largest fall on the continent, slipping five places to 86th.

Within Africa, Nigeria remain behind top-ranked South Sudan (25th globally, 472.1 points), Angola (32nd, 416.8 points), Ivory Coast (38th, 358.9 points), Egypt (43rd, 319.7 points), and Senegal (48th, 295.9 points).

Cape Verde (50th, 282.3 points) and Tunisia (52nd, 278.2 points) sit just ahead of Nigeria.

Cameroon and Mali complete Africa’s top 10 at 59th and 64th respectively.

Despite the drop, Nigeria remain competitive in the qualification race for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, currently ranked 11th in the African qualifiers’ Smart Power Rankings.

D’Tigers showcased resilience in recent continental competitions, notably during the 2025 AfroBasket, where they won all three Group B preliminary matches against Madagascar, Tunisia, and Cameroon before a 75–91 loss to Senegal ended their campaign.

Nigeria currently hold a 1–2 record in the African qualifiers and must deliver strong performances in the July window to secure one of five African slots for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.

Globally, the rankings remain stable at the top, with United States retaining the number one position, while Serbia, France, and Canada are closely contesting the podium.

Greece moved into the top 12, and New Zealand improved after away victories against the Philippines and Guam.

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In Africa, Ivory Coast recorded the highest rise after an unbeaten start in the qualifiers, climbing to 38th in the world.