Sports
FIBA W’Cup Qualifiers: D’Tigers Secure Second Round Ticket
With three wins from five games, D’Tigers booked their place in the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Having recorded a 20-0 points win over Mali who failed to show up for their game, Nigeria crossed the threshold with eight (8) points to join group leader, Cape Verde, and third-placed Uganda in the next round.
According to the pre-qualification guideline, the top three teams in group A will be merged with the top three teams in Group C consisting of Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Guinea, and the Central African Republic. Addressing the players on Saturday, Nigeria
Basketball Federation President, Engr Musa Kida thanked the team for their dedication and swift response to the call of duty. Kida who was in the company of his Vice President, Babs Ogunade conveyed the gratitude of Nigerians to the players for representing to the best of their abilities whenever they were called upon.
“Congratulations again for booking your deserved place in the second round. I bring you greetings from your compatriots back home who are solidly behind you. The job is far from over. We must start preparing for the second round immediately with the game against Uganda tomorrow”.
“We must finish high and end this phase with a bang. The boys have been separated from the men and the race for the ticket just got hotter. We count on you to deliver on this task. We will do everything within our power as a federation to make things easy for you on and off the court”, Kida concluded.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will face off with Uganda on Sunday by 2pm after both teams lost to the eventual group winner, Cape Verde. The team under the tutelage of Alan Major will hope for a repeat of their first encounter in February when it swept off Uganda 95-69points to decide the second and third spots.
The next round of matches will be held between the 22-30 of August.
In a statement released by the league, the competition is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 14, 2026, with six clubs set to battle for the league title at the end of the 2025/26 season.
NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Modupe Shabi, said the choice of Port Harcourt reflects the Rivers State Government’s continued support for women’s football and its successful hosting of the league’s Annual General Assembly last year.
The Super Six tournament will feature the top three teams from Group A and Group B of the regular season competing in a round-robin format, with each club playing five matches over nine days.
Qualified teams for the competition include defending champions Bayelsa Queens, Edo Queens, Rivers Angels, Robo Queens, Nasarawa Amazons, and debutants Abia Angels.
The NWFL Premiership has produced four different winners in the last five editions, with Rivers Angels winning in 2021, Bayelsa Queens claiming the title in 2022 and 2025, Delta Queens triumphing in 2023, and Edo Queens emerging champions in 2024.
The league also urged participating clubs to comply with all competition regulations and directives ahead of the championship. The Super Six will determine Nigeria’s representative for the WAFU-B qualifiers for a place at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League and ultimately the 2027 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.
Teams are expected to arrive on Friday, June 5, when the draw ceremony and pre-match meeting will also take place. Matchdays are scheduled for June 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14, with rest days in between before the tournament concludes with the trophy presentation ceremony.
