Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, has been drawn into a challenging group for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, where they will face France and several other top basketball nations.
The draw, held on Tuesday, sees D’Tigress placed in Tournament D, which will take place in Villeurbanne, France. They will compete against France, Germany (the World Cup hosts), South Korea, the Philippines, and Colombia. The qualifiers are set to run from March 11 to 17, 2026.
D’Tigress earned their spot in the qualifiers after winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket, but as with other continental champions such as the USA, Australia, and Belgium, they are still required to participate in the qualification process.
In total, 16 teams will qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, with Germany already securing an automatic place as hosts, alongside the four continental champions. This leaves 11 remaining spots up for grabs. African nations Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan will also be aiming to secure one of these slots in the qualifying tournaments.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup is scheduled to take place from September 4 to 13, with the qualifiers serving as an important step in D’Tigress’ preparation for the global event.
