Sports
D’Tigress shift focus to W’Cup qualifiers, After Friendlies
The match, which came three months after D’Tigress secured their historic fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in Abidjan, provided the African champions with a crucial test against one of Europe’s leading basketball nations.
Turkey edged the first quarter 15–14, but D’Tigress responded with a strong second quarter, gaining control of the game as it finished 30-25. However, the hosts regained momentum in the third quarter, outscoring Nigeria 22–12.
Despite a late rally by the Nigerian team in the closing minutes, Turkey managed to hold on for a one-point victory.
The starting lineup for Nigeria included Sarah Ogoke, Grace Efosa, Nicole Enabosi, Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah, and Rita Igbokwe. Despite limited preparation time before the game, the lineup demonstrated impressive chemistry.
The team’s defensive intensity and ball movement were particularly notable, providing positive indicators for the coaching staff, who are using these friendlies to assess the squad ahead of the challenging qualifying window.
The match provided Nigeria’s coaching staff with an opportunity to experiment with new team combinations following their AfroBasket triumph, where D’Tigress extended their unbeaten streak on the continent to 29 games.
Playing against a well-organised Turkish team allowed the Nigerian side to gauge their preparedness for the more challenging contests that await them outside of Africa.
The friendly highlighted the ongoing support from team partners Xejet and AFA Sports, who continue to back Nigeria’s women’s basketball programme.
Several other friendly games are planned in the coming weeks. However, the primary focus is now on the FIBA World Cup qualifying series, which will be held from March 11–17, 2026, across four different cities, Lyon-Villeurbanne (France), Wuhan (China), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Istanbul (Turkey).
Twenty-four nations will compete for 16 tickets to the World Cup in Berlin, Germany. The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will take place from September 4–13, 2026.