World Cup qualifiers: South Korea stun D’Tigress 77–60 in Lyon

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Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered their first defeat at the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon after losing 77–60 to South Korea on Thursday.

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The loss came less than 24 hours after the Nigerian side delivered a commanding 70–37 victory over Colombia in their opening game of the tournament.

South Korea produced a disciplined performance, especially in the final quarter, to overturn Nigeria’s historical dominance in the fixture. Before Thursday’s clash, D’Tigress had won both previous meetings between the teams.

The Asian side started strongly, taking the first quarter 20–16. Nigeria responded in the second quarter as both teams matched each other point for point, ending the period 16–16 to leave Korea with a narrow 36–32 lead at halftime.

The third quarter followed a similar pattern, with South Korea edging it 22–19 to extend their advantage heading into the final stretch. Nigeria’s hopes of a comeback faded in the fourth quarter as the Koreans tightened their defence and outscored D’Tigress 19–9 to seal the 17-point victory.

Statistics

Nigeria struggled offensively throughout the game, particularly from long range. The team converted only 4 of 17 attempts from three-point range, representing 24 per cent accuracy, while shooting 40 per cent on two-point attempts after making 18 of 45 shots.

South Korea, on the other hand, showed greater efficiency inside the arc, converting 16 of 26 two-point attempts for an impressive 58 per cent success rate. They also maintained a solid presence at the free-throw line, converting 14 of 19 attempts.

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In terms of overall team play, South Korea dominated several statistical categories. They recorded 47 rebounds compared to Nigeria’s 34 and also registered 29 assists, more than double Nigeria’s total of 14. The Koreans also edged the steals category with eight compared to Nigeria’s five.

Individual performances

Despite the defeat, a few Nigerian players still delivered notable individual performances. Victoria Macaulay led D’Tigress with 22 points, building on her strong outing against Colombia where she was named the Most Valuable Player.

Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu added 11 points, while Murjanatu Musa contributed 10 points for the Nigerian side.

The fixture carried historical significance as it was the third meeting between both teams. Nigeria had previously won the earlier encounters, first claiming a 68–64 victory in a placement match at the 2004 Olympic Games before edging Korea 70–69 during the Olympic qualifying tournament in 2016.

That 2016 contest remains memorable for Nigerian fans, as Kalu scored the decisive late basket that sealed the narrow win.

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

Heading into Thursday’s matchup, Nigeria had been confident after their dominant performance against Colombia. In that game, coach Rena Wakama’s team controlled proceedings from start to finish to secure a comfortable 33-point victory.

However, South Korea—who themselves had lost their opening game to Germany—showed urgency and determination as they sought to revive their qualification hopes.

Nigeria’s point guard Elizabeth Balogun had earlier warned that the Koreans would present a tougher challenge.

“We respect every opponent we come across, and the Koreans are particularly very athletic, which is one of their major strengths,” she said before the game. “But we will not take them for granted at all.”

D’Tigress already have their ticket to the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup after winning a fifth straight AfroBasket title in 2025. However, the tournament in Lyon still offers the team a valuable chance to fine-tune their tactics and build momentum ahead of the global competition scheduled for September.