Nigeria’s D’Tigress opened their campaign in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers with a clear win over Colombia.
The final score stood at 70-37 in favour of Nigeria on Wednesday at the Astroballe arena in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, France.
The Nigerian side took control from the start.
They won the first quarter 18-12 and held a 34-29 lead at half-time after Colombia edged the second quarter 17-16.
In the third quarter, D’Tigress pulled away by scoring 19 points while allowing only 5.
The fourth quarter followed the same pattern, with Nigeria adding 17 points and restricting Colombia to 3.
Victoria Macaulay led the scoring for Nigeria with 13 points.
Ifunaya Okoro added 10 points in a solid team effort that showed strong defence and quick transitions.
The win marked the 14th victory for head coach Rena Wakama since she took over in 2023.
Under her guidance, D’Tigress have won the last two FIBA Women’s AfroBasket titles and hold the number one spot in Africa.
Nigeria came into the tournament ranked eighth in the world by FIBA.
As reigning African champions, they have already secured a place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany, but they are competing in these qualifiers to build form and momentum.
The match formed part of Group A in the qualifying tournament running from 11 to 17 March.
D’Tigress will face South Korea next on Thursday as they continue their schedule in France.
Fans in Nigeria followed the game closely online, with many sharing messages of support after the result came through.
The performance underlined the team’s consistency on the international stage despite challenges at home.
This result gives D’Tigress a strong start in the group and sets the tone for the remaining matches.
