Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, suffered a 93–86 defeat to the France women’s national basketball team in a closely contested game at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament held in Villeurbanne, France.
The French side started strongly, building an early lead and maintaining control for most of the match. Although the African champions mounted a spirited comeback in the second half, the hosts managed to hold on and secure victory in the closing minutes.
Nigeria stepped up their performance after halftime and briefly cut the deficit to just two points, raising hopes of a turnaround. However, France remained composed and responded quickly to Nigeria’s pressure.
Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu played a key role in Nigeria’s fightback, scoring eight quick points during a crucial stretch that reignited the team’s momentum and energized supporters in the arena.
France soon regained control when Marine Johannes knocked down an important three-pointer following a missed Nigerian attempt.
As the game progressed, both teams tightened their defence, making scoring opportunities harder to come by. Despite several attempts by Nigeria to close the gap, the team was unable to overturn the deficit.
France forward Janelle Salaun finished as the game’s top scorer with 19 points, while Nigeria’s Elizabeth Balogun led D’Tigress with 18 points.
Nigeria entered the match with mixed results in the qualifying tournament. The team earlier recorded convincing wins over the Colombia women’s national basketball team (70–37) and the Philippines women’s national basketball team (101–84), but also suffered a loss to the South Korea women’s national basketball team.
Despite the defeat to France, D’Tigress have already secured qualification for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, which will take place in Berlin, Germany, after winning the AfroBasket Women 2025 title.
The ongoing qualifiers are therefore expected to serve as valuable preparation for the Nigerian team ahead of the global tournament later this year.
