AfroBasket 2025 - Angola, 12-24 August

Nigeria’s men’s basketball team hacked its way back from a 0-3 start in qualifying to sweep the decisive Tripoli window in February, capped by a 77-62 take-down of Cape Verde.

Guard Caleb Agada averaged 19-7-6 across the three wins and was +39 on court, the best swing of any player in the entire window.

The May draw in Luanda dropped the D’Tigers into Group B:

Group B fixture	Venue	Date
Madagascar v Nigeria	Luanda, Kilamba Arena	12 Aug
Nigeria v Tunisia	Luanda, Kilamba Arena	14 Aug
Nigeria v Cameroon	Luanda, Kilamba Arena	16 Aug

Only the four group winners go straight to the quarter-finals, so beating debutants Madagascar on opening night is non-negotiable.

Market pulse

Local layers still see Tunisia and hosts Angola as 1-2 on the outright ladder, but Surebet247’s early board has Nigeria hovering around 8.50 to lift the trophy, lengthened by the tricky draw rather than any talent deficit. Keep an eye on the price once the final 12-man roster is announced on 25 July.

Tactical wrinkle

New head coach Mfon Udoka plans to keep the five-out spacing that produced a 40% team three-point clip in Tripoli. Look for Agada and 6 ft 11 rim-protector Michael Eric to run empty-corner pick-and-rolls that pull Tunisia’s traditional bigs away from the paint.

World Cup 26 qualifying - CAF Group C pressure cooker

Team	P	W-D-L	GD	Pts
South Africa	6	4-1-1	+5	13
Rwanda	6	2-2-2	0	8
Benin	6	2-2-2	–1	8
Nigeria	6	1-4-1	+1	7
Lesotho	6	1-3-2	–1	6
Zimbabwe	6	0-4-2	–4	4

Remaining 2025 fixtures

Match	Date	Kick-off (CAT)	Venue
Nigeria v Rwanda	1 Sep	17:00	Uyo, Godswill Akpabio Stadium
South Africa v Nigeria	8 Sep	17:00	Johannesburg, FNB Stadium
Benin v Nigeria	Oct 2025	TBC	Cotonou
Nigeria v Lesotho	Oct 2025	TBC	Uyo

Since January, the Super Eagles have been under Éric Sékou Chelle, the first non-Nigerian African to coach the side. His debut window in March produced a cathartic 2-0 away win over Rwanda but only a point at home to Zimbabwe, leaving a six-point mountain still to climb.

At the sharp end of the pitch, Victor Osimhen is coming off a 37-goal, 8-assist loan blitz with Galatasaray, a run that has both Manchester clubs sniffing around a £50 m clause.

Storm cloud over Bafana

South Africa’s March victory over Lesotho is under FIFA review after Lesotho protested the use of Teboho Mokoena, who should have been suspended for yellow-card accumulation. A three-point deduction would haul Nigeria right back into touching distance. No verdict yet as of 15 June.

Betting lens

Surebet247 betting site opened Nigeria 1.62 draw-no-bet v Rwanda and 4.50 to top the group. For the more cautious, a double-chance (Nigeria or draw) in Johannesburg trades around 1.70 and lets you sleep at night.

Cross-code combo that every punter is whispering about

Because both showdowns fall inside a 28-day window, local books - Surebet247 foremost among them - are already posting specials such as:

Nigeria reach AfroBasket semi-finals + Super Eagles finish top-two in Group C - opening at 6.00.

Limit stakes: liquidity is thin, and edges will evaporate if FIFA swings the Mokoena axe.

Final whistle

Between 12 August and 8 September, Nigeria’s two headline teams face parallel gauntlets: D’Tigers must break out of the “group of grit,” while the Super Eagles need at least ten points from four matches - and maybe a helping hand from the FIFA courtroom - to keep 2026 within sight.

For fans, that means a month of late-night tip-offs and early-evening kick-offs; for bettors, it means juggling line-movement, roster news and disciplinary bulletins in real time. Whatever your angle, anchor every wager in hard data, keep bankroll rules sacred and refresh the Surebet247 board before you press “place bet.”

May the numbers be ever in your favour.