Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, face a daunting challenge on their road to Berlin after being drawn against European powerhouses France and Germany in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifiers.
The draw, conducted on Tuesday at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, placed Nigeria in the Lyon-Villeurbanne group alongside host nation France, Germany, and other emerging contenders including Korea, Colombia, and the Philippines.
The qualifiers are scheduled to hold from March 11–17, 2026, across four host cities — Lyon-Villeurbanne (France), Wuhan (China), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Istanbul (Turkey) — featuring 24 nations competing for 16 World Cup spots. The event will determine who joins the automatic qualifiers, including continental champions and host nation Germany, at the main tournament in Berlin.
Nigeria booked their spot in the qualifiers after claiming their fifth FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title in August 2025, reinforcing their dominance as Africa’s top team. Their victory also secured qualification for fellow African sides Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan.
For D’Tigress, this tournament is another opportunity to convert continental dominance into global success. Their historic eighth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Spain remains the best performance by any African team in history.
The team now faces a stern test against France, a perennial global contender, and Germany, who will enjoy home advantage at the 2026 finals. The top three teams from each qualifying group will advance to the World Cup.
The 2026 cycle also marks FIBA’s expansion of the Women’s World Cup from 12 to 16 teams, opening more opportunities for emerging nations. Pre-qualifiers held in Kigali and Mexico City in 2024 saw Hungary and the Czech Republic secure places in this stage.
Should Nigeria qualify, it will mark their third World Cup appearance, following participations in 2006 and 2018. With their trademark resilience and championship pedigree, D’Tigress will be aiming not just to qualify — but to make history once again on the global stage in Berlin.