D’Tigress’ World Cup Hopes Dashed After France Beat South

Nigeria’s D’Tigress have been eliminated from the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin after France defeated South Korea 95-69.

Key Highlights:

• D’Tigress have been eliminated from the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
• France’s 95–69 win over South Korea ended Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
• Nigeria had earlier lost 71–67 to Hungary, their second straight defeat.
• Coach Rena Wakama said poor shooting and a slow start hurt the team.
• D’Tigress will play France in their final group match, aiming for a strong finish.

France’s victory, recorded on Saturday, effectively ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage ahead of their final Group B fixture against the European side.

The development came less than 24 hours after D’Tigress suffered their second successive defeat at the tournament, falling 71-67 to Hungary in a tightly contested encounter.

Nigeria’s loss to Hungary had left the African champions needing favourable results elsewhere to remain in contention.

However, France’s commanding victory over South Korea sealed Nigeria’s fate, meaning the result of their final group game will no longer determine their qualification.

Head coach Rena Wakama had admitted after the Hungary defeat that her side struggled to find its rhythm early in the contest.

D’Tigress created several opportunities but were unable to convert consistently, particularly from the free-throw line, where they made just 12 of 23 attempts.

“It was another rough game. It’s tough when your shots aren’t falling,” Wakama said.

She also criticised the team’s slow start, noting that Nigeria only found greater energy during the final quarter.

“I felt like we didn’t really get flowing until the fourth quarter. We saw some life there, but my challenge for the team is just to start the game with that energy,” she said.

One positive from the Hungary game was Nigeria’s improvement in ball security. After committing almost 23 turnovers in their opening match, D’Tigress reduced the figure to 11.

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Captain Amy Okonkwo, however, said Hungary’s superiority on the boards contributed significantly to Nigeria’s defeat.

“It was a tough game. Hungary played very well. They out-rebounded us by a lot, and they had their rhythm while we were trying to find ours,” she said.

Okonkwo remained confident that the team could rediscover its fighting spirit.

“I still believe that we have the spark in us. I think it just needs to translate onto the floor,” she added.

France’s 95-69 win over South Korea subsequently confirmed that Nigeria could no longer finish ahead of the teams involved, regardless of the outcome against France.

Even a heavy victory over France would not be enough to rescue D’Tigress because of the head-to-head rule used to separate teams tied on points.

The early elimination is a setback for the African champions, who entered the tournament hoping to build on Nigeria’s strong history at the competition.

D’Tigress reached the quarter-finals at the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Tenerife, Spain, their best-ever performance at the global tournament.

Under the 2026 competition format, group winners advance directly to the quarter-finals, while teams finishing second and third contest a knockout qualification round for the last eight. Fourth-placed teams are eliminated at the group stage.

Nigeria will now play France in their final Group B match, with Wakama’s side aiming to bow out of the tournament on a positive note.

D’Tigress will be hoping to rediscover their defensive intensity, rebounding strength and offensive efficiency as they seek a strong finish to their campaign.