ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - Chad showed composure and character for forty minutes in their second game at the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket, beating Nigeria 59-50 to register their first win at the tournament.
Both Chad and Nigeria went into the Friday fixture needing nothing short of victory to keep their hopes of qualifying for the quarterfinals alive. As such, both sides approached the game with caution, playing at a slow pace and trying to minimise mistakes.
Separated by just a point (12-11 in favour of Nigeria) at the end of the first quarter, Chad took the initiative in the second quarter but never created significant separation until Junior Djibrine hit a 3-pointer that gave them a 29-23 lead at halftime.
Chad put on a 6-2 run to start the third quarter to lead by double figures, forcing Nigeria into a timeout.
However, not much changed for Nigeria in terms of offensive execution, failing to take control of the game as Victor Sunday (22 points & 10 rebounds) seemed to be in a lone battle.
With 2:45 left, Yaya Ngaba fouled out while his team was leading by 12 (54-42). Nigeria almost capitalized on Chad’s lack of leadership, but Chad held on for the historic win.
Asnal Noubaramadje, the former Chad international playmaker who is now serving as head coach, was delighted by his team's effort. He said: “I’m happy for the guys. They did the work now; they did great work. The defense was good; they stole balls, and they played with heart. That’s what we missed in the first game. So, I’m very happy for them, and I’m very happy with the work we did.”
Timothee Ndohoudou turned in a game-winning performance of 15 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Djibrine contributed 17 points while Yaya had 15 points and a game-high 21 rebounds, the highest return at the tournament so far. The Chad skipper was menacing in the paint with 4 blocks.
FIBA