The Nigerian senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, has experienced a minor decline in the latest world rankings released by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on Thursday, March 5, 2026. The updated figures show the three-time Olympians slipping three places from their previous 50th position to 53rd globally. With a total of 271.2 ranking points, Nigeria’s trajectory mirrors a broader trend of shifting power dynamics within the sport’s global and continental landscapes, as the governing body accounted for recent international windows and qualifying results.
This latest update identifies Nigeria as one of the most significant movers in the African region, albeit in a downward direction. Sharing the distinction of the second-largest drop on the continent, the Nigerian side fell in tandem with Tunisia, who also descended three spots to occupy 52nd place. Rwanda, however, suffered the most dramatic decline among African nations, plummeting five positions to 86th. Conversely, while some established powers struggled, other nations managed to maintain or marginally improve their standing during this ranking cycle.
“Nigeria’s men’s national basketball team, D’Tigers, have slipped three places to 53rd in the latest International Basketball Federation world rankings released on Thursday. The drop sees Nigeria fall from their previous position of 50th globally and eighth on the African continent with 271.2 ranking points in the rankings published by the sport’s governing body.”
Despite the global dip, D’Tigers remain anchored at eighth in the African continental hierarchy. They currently trail behind the continent’s elite, with South Sudan continuing their reign as the top-ranked African side at 25th in the world (472.1 points). Angola follows in second place (32nd globally), with Ivory Coast (38th), Egypt (43rd), Senegal (48th), Cape Verde (50th), and Tunisia (52nd) rounding out the nations positioned ahead of Nigeria. Cameroon and Mali conclude the African top ten, holding the 59th and 64th spots, respectively.
“The decline makes Nigeria the joint second-biggest fallers among African teams in the latest update, sharing that distinction with Tunisia, which also dropped three places to 52nd in the world standings. Rwanda recorded the biggest fall on the continent, slipping five places to 86th. Within Africa, Nigeria remain eighth in the continental hierarchy, behind South Sudan, Angola, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Senegal, Cape Verde and Tunisia.”
The slide highlights the urgent need for a resurgence as the team prepares for the next window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup African Qualifiers. To reclaim their status as a top-five continental powerhouse—a position they held as recently as early 2025—D’Tigers will need to secure decisive victories in the upcoming July fixtures. For a program that once reached a historic high of 16th in the world, the current standing serves as a stark reminder of the competitive growth across African basketball and the necessity for consistent international activity.
“South Sudan continues to lead the continent’s rankings at 25th in the world with 472.1 points, followed by Angola in 32nd with 416.8 points and the Ivory Coast in 38th with 358.9 points. Egypt occupy fourth position in Africa and 43rd globally with 319.7 points, while Senegal is ranked 48th in the world with 295.9 points. Cape Verde sit 50th with 282.3 points, just ahead of Tunisia in 52nd with 278.2 points and Nigeria in 53rd with 271.2 points. Cameroon and Mali complete Africa’s top 10 in the rankings at 59th and 64th, respectively.”
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