The Nigeria women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, suffered an 81–73 defeat to the Germany women’s team in a group-stage game at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in France.
Nigeria showed strong resilience and briefly took the lead in the second quarter but struggled to maintain momentum against a well-organized German side. The turning point came late in the third quarter after Nigeria led 49–46, before Germany responded with a decisive scoring run.
Leonie Fiebich led the comeback effort, combining effectively with Nyara Sabally to swing control in Germany’s favour. Nigeria’s offense stalled during that stretch, allowing Germany to open a lead they protected until the final whistle.
Elizabeth Balogun paced Nigeria with 15 points, including three shots from beyond the arc. Fiebich finished with 15 points, eight assists, and four rebounds, while Alexis Peterson added 14 points and eight assists.
Nigeria’s best spell came during a 10–0 run in the second quarter, turning a deficit into a 31–27 lead. However, Germany answered with a similar run across the second and third quarters to regain control.
Nigeria led for just over three minutes in the contest, while Germany controlled possession and tempo for most of the game. Late missed opportunities further hampered Nigeria’s comeback hopes as Germany sealed the win.
D’Tigress finished fourth in Group A, winning two of five matches. They recorded victories over Colombia and the Philippines but lost to South Korea, France, and Germany.
Despite the results, the African champions had already secured qualification for the World Cup after winning the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025 title. Nigeria claimed their fifth consecutive and seventh overall crown by defeating Mali 78–64 in Abidjan.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will be held in Berlin, Germany, from September 4 to 13 at the Max-Schmeling-Halle.