Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, suffered their second defeat at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers on Sunday, falling 93–86 to France in a fiercely contested encounter.
The game was briefly halted for over 15 minutes with less than a minute remaining after French star s involved in an incident following two successive fouls, but play eventually resumed with France holding on to secure the win.
France started strongly and dominated the opening quarter, outscoring Nigeria 29–21. The European side maintained their advantage in the second quarter, taking it 28–24 to head into halftime with a comfortable 57–45 lead.
D’Tigress attempted a fightback in the second half, showing the same resilience that powered their comeback victory over the Philippines earlier in the tournament. Nigeria improved in the third quarter, winning it 21–15, and continued to push in the final period, but France edged the fourth quarter 21–20 to seal the victory.
The French side, ranked third in the world, showed their quality in shooting efficiency from both two-point and three-point range, effectively countering Nigeria’s strengths in rebounds and assists.
Elsewhere in the group on Sunday, Germany defeated Colombia 78–57, while South Korea recorded a dominant 105–74 victory over the Philippines.
Following the results, France lead the group standings with four wins from four games, while Germany sit second with three victories and one defeat. South Korea occupy third place with a similar record, while Nigeria are fourth with two wins and two losses. Colombia and the Philippines remain winless after four games.
D’Tigress will now turn their attention to their next fixture against Germany on Tuesday as they aim to bounce back and strengthen their chances of progressing further in the tournament.
