Nigeria’s D’Tigress began their 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign on a disappointing note after suffering a 99-81 defeat to South Korea in Berlin, Germany, on Friday.
The African champions struggled to contain South Korea’s sustained offensive pressure as the Asian side took control of the contest and maintained the advantage for much of the game.
D’Tigress attempted to remain within striking distance but were unable to produce the offensive response required to close the gap, eventually losing by 18 points.
The defeat also extended Nigeria’s poor record against Asian opposition at the global tournament, while D’Tigress remain without a victory in their opening World Cup fixture.
South Korea’s attacking efficiency proved decisive as Nigeria struggled to find a consistent way of disrupting their opponents and reducing the deficit.
Despite their efforts to fight back, the Nigerian side could not overturn South Korea’s advantage as the Asian champions secured a convincing victory.
The result means D’Tigress must quickly regroup ahead of their next Group B fixture against Hungary.
A victory in the encounter will be crucial for Nigeria as the African champions seek to remain in contention for qualification for the knockout stage of the competition.
D’Tigress will now look to improve both ends of the court against Hungary and secure the win needed to revive their World Cup campaign.