D’Tigers Coach, Mohammed Hails Udeze’s Heroics in Nigeria’s Escape
Nigeria narrowly avoided a shocking defeat to Rwanda in Sunday’s Group C World Cup qualifier in Rades, Tunisia, thanks to a heroic performance from Morris Udeze.
With Rwanda leading 61–58 and just four seconds left on the clock, Prince Muhizi fouled Udeze, who responded with a powerful dunk and calmly converted the free throw to tie the game.
His clutch play forced overtime, where Nigeria outscored Rwanda 14–8 to seal a 75–69 victory.
Udeze was unstoppable throughout the contest, finishing with 30 points, the highest tally by any player in Window 1 of the African Qualifiers, alongside 10 rebounds and two assists.
His dominance proved decisive for Nigeria, who struggled against a resilient Rwandan side missing their key player David McCormack due to injury.
Nigeria’s head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed was full of praise for Udeze, acknowledging his pivotal role in the win.
‘I don’t want to take credit away from the other guys, but if he wasn’t here, I don’t know where we would have been. We gave him a role and he embraced it. He’s the most gentleman I have ever coached at the national team.
‘He is always committed, dedicated, and ready. Every time he is on the floor, he gives everything he’s got. I would like to give him credit for today’s win. He’s been fantastic,’ Mohammed told FIBA website.
The victory allowed Nigeria, former African champions and currently ranked eighth on the continent, to close the first round of Group C with a 1–2 record, while Rwanda remain winless at 0–3.
