Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, have dropped three places to 53rd in the latest world rankings released by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on Thursday.
The new rankings show Nigeria falling from 50th position globally to 53rd with 271.2 points.
The decline also leaves the team eighth on the African continent in the standings released by basketball’s world governing body.
Nigeria are among the joint second-biggest fallers in Africa in the latest update, alongside Tunisia men’s national basketball team, which also slipped three places to 52nd in the world rankings.
Rwanda men’s national basketball team recorded the biggest drop on the continent, falling five places to 86th.
Despite the setback, Nigeria remain eighth in Africa, behind South Sudan men’s national basketball team, Angola men’s national basketball team, Ivory Coast men’s national basketball team, Egypt men’s national basketball team, Senegal men’s national basketball team, Cape Verde men’s national basketball team and Tunisia.
South Sudan remain the highest-ranked African side at 25th in the world with 472.1 points. Angola follow in 32nd place with 416.8 points, while Ivory Coast occupy 38th position with 358.9 points.
Egypt are ranked 43rd globally with 319.7 points, while Senegal sit 48th with 295.9 points. Cape Verde are 50th with 282.3 points, ahead of Tunisia in 52nd with 278.2 points and Nigeria in 53rd with 271.2 points.
Cameroon men’s national basketball team and Mali men’s national basketball team complete Africa’s top 10, ranking 59th and 64th respectively in the world.
Despite the drop in the global standings, D’Tigers remain in contention in the qualification race for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where they are currently placed 11th in the African qualifiers’ Smart Power Rankings.
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