African champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigress, have been drawn in Group B alongside France, Korea Republic, and Hungary at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, www.aclsports.com reports.
The draw, held on April 21 in Berlin, confirmed the group-stage matchups for the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in the German capital from September 4 to 13, 2026.
Nigeria will be making their third appearance at the Women’s World Cup, having finished 16th on debut in 2006 before achieving a historic quarter-final run to finish eighth in 2018, their best result to date.
Their return also comes after missing the 2022 edition in Sydney despite qualifying. A government-imposed suspension of all national basketball teams from international competitions saw Nigeria withdraw, with FIBA naming Mali as their replacement.
In Group B, France are expected to provide the toughest test given their pedigree on the world stage, while Hungary’s disciplined approach and Korea Republic’s high-tempo style present contrasting tactical challenges for D’Tigress.
Nigeria’s D’Tigress have never faced any of the teams at a FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. However, they do have recent competitive history against two of them. They met France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while their encounters with Korea Republic have come in FIBA qualifying tournaments. This will be the first time Nigeria face Hungary in a major international competition.
Elsewhere, hosts Germany lead Group A alongside Spain, Japan, and Mali. Group C features Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Turkey, while defending champions USA headline Group D with Czech Republic, Italy, and China.
With the draw confirmed, focus now shifts to preparations as D’Tigress, currently in camp ahead of their 2026 WNBA friendlies, look to make a strong statement on their return to the world stage.
