Nigeria’s women’s national basketball team, D’Tigress, were beaten 77–60 by South Korea in their second game of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Lyon, France
The match took place at the Astroballe Arena on Thursday and brought an end to Nigeria’s unbeaten streak that had lasted since their quarter-final defeat to the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Head coach Rena Wakama retained the same starting five that secured victory over Colombia in the opening fixture. Amy Okonkwo, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Murjanatu Musa and Ezinne Kalu were all named in the lineup, but the team struggled to deal with South Korea’s sharp perimeter shooting.
South Korea made a strong start to the contest, hitting several shots from beyond the arc to claim a 20–16 lead after the first quarter as Nigeria struggled to find their rhythm. The second quarter was evenly contested, with both teams scoring 16 points each, allowing the Koreans to head into halftime with a 36–32 advantage.
Victoria Macaulay powered Nigeria’s attack in the first half, accounting for 15 of the team’s 32 points before the break. Okonkwo and Kalu each contributed three points to keep D’Tigress within touching distance.
South Korea widened the gap in the third quarter, outscoring Nigeria 22–19 to extend their lead to 58–51 going into the final period. Any hopes of a Nigerian comeback faded in the fourth quarter as the team’s offence stalled, managing just nine points while the Koreans took advantage of defensive lapses to seal a comfortable win.
Macaulay delivered Nigeria’s best performance of the game, finishing with 22 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. She shot 8-of-13 from the field and made all three of her attempts from beyond the arc. Murjanatu Musa added 10 points and three rebounds.
South Korea’s shooting from long range proved decisive, with the team knocking down 11 three-pointers and recording 29 assists through fluid ball movement. Jihyun Park led their scoring with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Leeseul Kang contributed 20 points, including five three-pointers.
Although Nigeria dominated the rebounding battle 39–31, they were hampered by 18 turnovers and struggled to contain South Korea’s perimeter threat.
D’Tigress had already secured their place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup after winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, meaning the tournament mainly serves as an opportunity to improve their global ranking.
Reacting to the loss, promoter of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship, Mark Igoche, encouraged the team to stay motivated.
“Don’t let this one setback bring you down. As I always say, ‘Champions aren’t made in the wins, they’re made in the losses.’ You’ve got this! You’ve shown your strength against Colombia, and now it’s time to regroup and refocus.”
“Fall down 7 times, stand up 8. Let’s use this as fuel to propel us forward… The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Let’s rise, D’Tigress!”
Nigeria will return to action on March 14 when they face the Philippines in their next game of the tournament.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has handed Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), a six-month ban from...
The Confederation of African Football has postponed the schedule for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco,...
Former BBNaija winner Phyna has revealed that she would no longer encourage people to audition for the reality show,...