South Sudan set the early tone, capitalizing on a 9-0 run late in the first quarter to erase a 15-14 deficit and surge ahead to a 30-19 advantage by the end of the period. However, Nigeria slowly clawed their way back into the contest. Sparked by Caleb Agada, a 7-0 scoring burst bridging the second and third quarters transformed a 43-41 deficit into a 48-43 lead with 9:08 left in the third.

The game ultimately turned into a nail-biting finish as the Bright Stars clawed back control. Okogie briefly tied the game at 70-70 with a three-pointer with 7:03 remaining, but Wenyen Gabriel answered back 21 seconds later with a hook shot to reclaim the lead for South Sudan, who managed to hold on until the final buzzer.

Statistically, South Sudan was propelled by Marial Shayok’s stellar line of 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals, alongside 13 points from Nuni Omot and a near triple-double of 11 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds by Carlik Jones. For Nigeria, Okogie led the scoring charge with 14 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, though his contributions weren’t enough to avert the narrow defeat.

This setback follows a previous 78-62 loss to Cameroon on Wednesday during their second-round opener, leaving D’Tigers under heavy pressure ahead of a decisive matchup against Cape Verde on Sunday.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Secretary, Maj Gen Abdulmalik Jibril (retd.), the board instructed candidates to verify their status on the official recruitment portal using their registration application numbers. Those successfully shortlisted are required to log on to upload their credentials and pick their preferred date and venue for the physical screening, while strictly following all portal guidelines.

This recruitment cycle encompasses the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), and the Federal Fire Service (FFS).

Issuing a stern warning against fraudsters, the board emphasized that candidates must not make any payments for shortlisting, document uploading, venue selection, or final placement. Applicants are also strongly advised to ignore scam messages, unverified links, and impostors falsely claiming affiliation with the board.

The recruitment process commenced with online submissions in July 2025, leading up to the Computer-Based Test (CBT) held in November of that same year.