Nigeria’s men’s 3x3 basketball side mixed results on Commonwealth Games debut day

Glasgow, Scotland — Nigeria’s men’s 3x3 basketball team opened their Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign with a hard-fought win before suffering two defeats on the opening day of competition at the SEC Centre.

The Super Eagles of the court began strongly, defeating the Cayman Islands 21-17. Ikechukwu Sean Nwamu and Esosa Okundaye led the scoring with six points apiece as Nigeria secured their first-ever victory in the event at the Commonwealth Games.

However, the day ended in disappointment. Australia proved too strong in a 21-15 victory, with Jonah Antonio starring for the Australians. New Zealand then inflicted a heavier 21-10 defeat later in the session.

The mixed results leave Nigeria with one win and two losses after Day 1 in Pool A.

Key results – Day 1

• 🇳🇬 Nigeria 21-17 Cayman Islands
• 🇳🇬 Nigeria 15-21 Australia
• 🇳🇬 Nigeria 10-21 New Zealand

Nigeria will return to action on Sunday, 26 July, when they face Guyana and hosts Scotland. Those matches will prove decisive in determining whether the team can progress to the semi-finals.

The fast-paced 3x3 format continues to deliver high-intensity contests, with Australia making a perfect start to their campaign and Scotland also performing strongly in front of home supporters.