TRIPOLI (Libya) – Nigeria were on the ropes, but resilience, belief and an incredible fighting spirit saw the D'Tigers through at AfroBasket 2025.
How did they do it?
Going into the last three games of the qualifiers with a 0-3 record looked daunting to many, but in the camp of the former African champions, belief was the watchword.
We needed to be focused, come together, play to our strengths and try to play well at all times - Caleb Agada
Of the group of players who represented Nigeria in the first round of qualifying in Monastir, Tunisia, in February 2024, only two - Mike Nuga and Abe Abuchi Agu - returned for the decisive three matches in Tripoli.
Among the ten new faces who rose to the challenge of taking on Cape Verde, Libya and Uganda - the three teams that beat Nigeria in the first round - was Caleb Agada, who made an immediate impact.
Agada, a 2021 Tokyo Olympian, averaged 19 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6 assists in the three games that saw Nigeria beat hosts Libya (75-70), Uganda (87-67) and Cape Verde (77-62).
Speaking to FIBA.basketball, Agada explained how Nigeria staged an incredible comeback to emerge as one of the hottest teams in the second round of the qualifiers..
The 1.96m guard, who currently plays for Avtor Saratov in Russia, said: "Our qualifying games in Monastir were difficult and when we got to Libya we were focused on making up for it by getting a qualification ticket, and that meant we just had to give our best when we head to Angola later in the year."
He continued: "The win against Uganda meant a lot to us because that is what we came here to do, to get that qualification ticket to go to Angola. We needed to be focused, come together, play to our strengths and try to play well at all times.
Although Agada admits the team is still a work in progress, he said: "We are getting to know each other and for me in particular, I have been with the national team for about six years and I am very grateful because I know I have experienced a lot.
"I know what it means to the country, what it means to the fans and what it means to represent my country. So every time I step on the court, I want to give my best for the fans, for the veterans who are no longer playing and to make Nigeria proud".
To show his commitment to the team, even when he fouled out against Uganda, Agada remained resolute from the bench. "I knew I played well, but it's not about me. It's about the team and I realised that I still had to do something to boost the confidence of the other players on the court by cheering them on," Agada said.
He added: "To think there were seven minutes left in the game and I told my coaches I didn't want to just sit on the bench looking frustrated, I needed to do something to help my team."
Nigeria did the unthinkable by going 3-0 up in the second round and Agada says the challenge of representing Nigeria is what drives him and the rest of the team.
FIBA