D'Tigress dominate Colombia to open World Cup Qualifiers in style
African champions Nigeria’s D’Tigress delivered a commanding performance to defeat Colombia 70–37 in their opening game of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Lyon, France, on Wednesday.
The encounter at the Astroballe Arena marked the first-ever meeting between both sides, and it was the reigning African champions who eventually stamped their authority with a powerful second-half display.
Despite already securing qualification for the World Cup and entering the tournament ranked eighth in the world, Nigeria faced early resistance from the 19th-ranked Colombians in a closely contested first half.
Coach Rena Wakama’s side started with Amy Okonkwo, Elizabeth Balogun, Promise Amukamara, Murjanatu Musa and Ezinne Kalu. Amukamara opened Nigeria’s account from the free-throw line before adding a lay-up to give the D’Tigress an early advantage. Colombia responded through Mabel Martinez, whose three-pointer produced their first basket of the game.
Nigeria edged the opening quarter 18–12, but Colombia stayed within touching distance in the second period, trimming the deficit before the break as D’Tigress carried a slim 34–29 lead into halftime.
The game, however, shifted dramatically after the interval.
Nigeria tightened their defense in the third quarter, suffocating Colombia’s offense and restricting them to just five points while stretching the lead to 53–34 heading into the final quarter.
The dominance continued in the fourth, with D’Tigress allowing only three points while adding 17 of their own to complete a resounding 33-point victory.
Victoria Macaulay led Nigeria’s scoring with 13 points and six rebounds in just 14 minutes, a performance that earned her Player of the Match honours. Nicole Enabosi recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Ifunnaya Okoro contributed 10 points.
Nigeria shot 40.6 percent from the field and asserted their physical presence on the boards, outrebounding Colombia 51–31, while also recording 23 assists in a display that highlighted their cohesion and defensive discipline.
D’Tigress will now shift focus to their next Group D fixture against South Korea on March 12 as they continue their World Cup qualifying campaign.
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