Tunisia vs Nigeria

From the opening exchanges the contest lived up to its billing as a rivalry renewed. The two sides traded baskets through a closely contested first quarter that ended tied at 17-17, setting the tone for an afternoon of back-and-forth basketball.

Nigeria found their rhythm from beyond the arc in the second period, stringing together timely three-pointers to carve out a narrow advantage. The half-time score reflected the parity — neither side able to separate by more than a handful of possessions.

Tunisia came out sharper after the interval. Their offence moved the ball crisply, finding gaps in the Nigerian defence through sharp cuts and offensive rebounding. At one stage Tunisia built a five-point lead, the largest of the game for either side, threatening to seize control.

But Nigeria answered each Tunisian surge with a counter-punch. Veteran guard Stanley Aoya, a 2015 AfroBasket champion with Nigeria, steadied the ship with composed playmaking and timely scores. Forward Mike Nouga provided a defensive spark with a towering block that ignited a fast-break finish at the other end.

The decisive sequence came inside the final two minutes. With the scores locked, Tunisia's Jawedi hauled in an extraordinary offensive rebound to keep a possession alive, leading to a Manaweri score that put Tunisia up by four. But Nigeria responded immediately: a pull-up three from Omar Aetta cut the gap, and Nouga knocked down a catch-and-shoot triple to swing the momentum back Nigeria's way.

Tunisia had possession with a chance to tie or win in the closing seconds. A leaning three-point attempt was off target, and Nigeria corralled the rebound. Despite a late scramble, Tunisia could not force overtime.

Stanley Aoya (Nigeria): The veteran was the calming influence Nigeria needed, particularly in the second half. His experience in high-stakes African basketball — including AfroBasket titles in 2015 — showed in crucial possessions.

Manaweri (Tunisia): The Tunisian standout, who was the leading scorer at AfroBasket 2025, carried the offence for long stretches. He scored from all three levels and drew defensive attention that created opportunities for teammates.

Mike Nouga (Nigeria): His defensive presence altered shots around the rim, and his three-pointer in the closing stages proved the difference. One of the leading steal-getters in AfroBasket history, his two-way impact was vital.

Omar Aetta (Nigeria): Hit critical outside shots in the fourth quarter, including the pull-up three that kept Nigeria within striking distance during Tunisia's push.

Both sides shot efficiently from two-point range, with Nigeria's edge in three-point shooting (roughly 35% to 26%) offset by Tunisia's work on the offensive glass. The Tunisians created multiple second-chance opportunities, reflected in a higher points-in-the-paint total (36-32). Nigeria's advantage in blocks (5-2) and fast-break points told the story of their ability to turn defensive stops into transition scores — a pattern that proved decisive in the fourth quarter.

Group C now reads: Guinea 3-0 (6 pts), Tunisia 2-1 (5 pts), Nigeria 1-2 (4 pts), Rwanda 0-3 (3 pts). The top three teams from each group advance to the Second Round carrying their results against fellow qualifiers. Nigeria's win keeps them firmly in the hunt; a loss would have left them three points adrift with only two windows remaining.

Both sides resume qualifying in the next window (November 2026). Tunisia will aim to reclaim top spot, while Nigeria will look to build on this momentum.

This was the tightest game of the window in Group C, decided by a handful of individual plays in the final two minutes. Tunisia will rue missed opportunities from the free-throw line and a failure to close out when they led by four. Nigeria, by contrast, showed the composure of a team that has been here before — and with Stanley Aoya orchestrating the offence, they look capable of pushing for a Second Round berth.