Canada Basketball’s Senior Men’s National Team defeated Nigeria’s D’Tigers 87-96 in the first leg of a pair of exhibition games in Toronto on Wednesday night.

Nigeria began the game on the front feet leading at the start but trailed at later periods of the game with Coach Alex Nwora making use of newly invited players.

The D’Tigers will face Canada again on Friday in the second leg of the exhibition game which has been organized to prepare the team ahead of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 starting August 31 in China.

Last month, Nigeria had enjoyed double victories over the Dominican Republic and will hope to outplay Canada in Friday’s game at the Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg at 8:00 p.m.

Canada head to the World Cup for the first time since the 2010 FIBA World Championship after finishing the FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers with a 10-2 record to lead Group F, while Nigeria will be making her third appearance at the World Cup and first since the 2006 FIBA World Championship after similarly finishing first in Group F with 10-2 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.