The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has announced a 12-man D'Tigers squad for the second window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, with the return of several key players as Nigeria looks to revive its qualification hopes.

Leading the list of returning stars is NBA forward Chimezie Metu, alongside Caleb Agada, while experienced guards Ikenna Iroegbu and Stan Okoye also make their way back into the national team setup.

The final roster includes Ikenna Iroegbu, Uchenna Iroegbu, Caleb Agada, Paul Dibal, Stan Okoye, Daniel Utomi, Martins Igbanu, Chimezie Metu, Wesley Iwundu, Christian Mekowulu, Michael Eric, and Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu.

Nigeria will begin its campaign in the second qualification window with a must-win encounter against Tunisia on Thursday, July 2, before facing Guinea the following day. D'Tigers will round off their fixtures against Rwanda as they seek to climb the group standings.

The games in Luanda, Angola, will also usher in a new era for the national team, with David Fizdale taking charge of D'Tigers for the first time. The 52-year-old American coach arrives with over 20 years of NBA coaching experience, having worked as both an assistant and head coach with several franchises.

D'Tigers head into the second window under pressure after a disappointing start to the qualifiers. Nigeria opened with an 88-78 defeat to Tunisia before suffering a 65-55 loss to Guinea, results that left the team third in the group and in need of a strong response to keep their World Cup dream alive.

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