D’Tigress, Nigeria senior women’s basketball team, concluded their campaign at the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in France with a 81-73 defeat to Germany on Tuesday.
Nigeria had already qualified for the World Cup by winning the 2025 AfroBaskets and entered the game with two wins and two defeats from their opening four matches.
The D’Tigress began their campaign with a comfortable 70-37 win over Colombia, but suffered their first defeat against South Korea in their second match, losing by a 77-60 scoreline.
They bounced back with another impressive comeback win over Philippines, recording a 101-84 scoreline.
In their last match against France, they put up a great fightback but ended up losing 93-86 to the host country.
D’Tigress lose to Germany in 2026 FIBA qualifiers
Nigeria went into the clash against the World Cup hosts, hoping for a win to round off their campaign at the qualifying tournament in France.
Germany started on top and edged the first quarter, recording a 17-14 win and they also won the second quarter 18-17, to take a 35-31 lead into the halftime.
The D’Tigress came out roaring in the third quarter and reduced the deficit, recording a 21-19 advantage heading into the final quarter.
However, their momentum was halted once again halted as Germany were on top for majority of the fourth quarter, sealing a 27-21 victory.
The game ended 81-73, as D’Tigress will have a lot of positives to takeaway from the tournament.
What Next?
The D’Tigress will now begin preparation for the FIBA World Cup later this year, which will take place between September 4 till 13 in Germany.
