World Cup Qualifying Tournament: Nigeria’s D’Tigress devour Colombia in opener

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Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, on Wednesday opened their campaign at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament on a very bright note.

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The Nigerian girls romped to an emphatic 70–37 victory over Colombia in Lyon, France, to announce themselves to the world in grand style once again.

The reigning African champions controlled the contest for most of the game, relying on strong defence and balanced scoring to overwhelm their South American opponents.

Nigeria took an early lead, finishing the first quarter 18–12 after a solid defensive effort.

Colombia fought back in the second quarter and briefly threatened to close the gap, but D’Tigress maintained their composure to go into halftime with a narrow 34–29 advantage.

The turning point came immediately after the break. Nigeria raised their intensity and went on a decisive scoring run that completely shifted the momentum of the game.

By the end of the third quarter, D’Tigress had stretched the lead to 53–34, leaving Colombia struggling to keep pace.

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The final quarter was one-sided as Nigeria dominated both ends of the court, limiting Colombia to just three points while adding 17 to seal the convincing 33-point win.

Key performers

Guard Ifunanya Okoro played a key role in Nigeria’s victory with a strong all-round performance. She recorded 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in just over 28 minutes on the court, finishing with a +29 rating during Nigeria’s most dominant stretches.

Forward Nicole Enabosi also impressed, anchoring Nigeria’s control of the boards with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds while adding five assists in less than 24 minutes.

Off the bench, Victoria Macaulay provided the scoring spark that helped Nigeria pull away. She shot an efficient five-of-six from the field to finish with 13 points and six rebounds in just over 14 minutes.

READ ALSO: D’Tigress draw heavyweights France, Germany in World Cup Qualifiers

Colombia struggled to match Nigeria’s depth, with Mabel Martinez emerging as their top scorer with six points.

Nigeria led for more than 33 minutes of the game, with their biggest advantage reaching 34 points late in the fourth quarter. Colombia’s only lead was by three points early in the contest.

The win marks a strong start for D’Tigress in the qualifying tournament and reinforces their reputation as one of the most consistent teams in women’s basketball.

Although Nigeria already secured their place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup after winning a fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in 2025, the tournament in Lyon provides an important opportunity for the team to sharpen their tactics ahead of the global competition in September.