Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered a difficult start to their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign after losing 99–81 to South Korea in their opening game in Berlin on Friday.
Rena Wakama’s African champions entered the contest positively and stayed within touching distance of their opponents during the early stages. However, South Korea managed to establish a narrow advantage by the end of the first quarter, taking a 26–22 lead into the second period.
Nigeria continued to compete strongly as the game progressed, refusing to allow South Korea to build a decisive cushion before halftime. D’Tigress remained firmly in contention throughout the second quarter, but the Koreans retained their four-point advantage at the interval.
South Korea led 48–45 when both teams headed into the halftime break, leaving Nigeria with only a three-point deficit to overcome in the second half.
The contest remained competitive after the restart, but South Korea began to increase the pressure and gradually extended their advantage. Nigeria struggled to produce the response required to completely erase the gap, allowing the Koreans to enter the final quarter with a 68–62 lead.
With the margin still within reach, D’Tigress needed a strong finish to turn the game around. Instead, South Korea controlled the closing stages and pulled further away as Nigeria was unable to mount a late comeback.
The Koreans eventually completed an 18-point victory, leaving Nigeria to begin their World Cup campaign with a defeat despite remaining competitive for significant portions of the game.
For Wakama’s side, attention now shifts quickly to their next Group game as they prepare to face Hungary on Saturday.
The encounter provides D’Tigress with an immediate opportunity to respond to the opening-day setback and revive their hopes of making progress in the competition.
Nigeria will therefore need to put the loss to South Korea behind them as they prepare for the meeting with Hungary, with the team seeking a stronger result in their second outing at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
