Nigeria 81 – 99 South Korea: D'Tigress Lose Their Opening 2026 Fiba Women'S World Cup Game

 

Nigeria's D'Tigress began their FIBA 2026 Women's World Cup campaign on a sad note after losing 81-99 to South Korea at the Uber Arena in Berlin, Germany.

 

Coach Rena Wakama's starting lineup of Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Elizabeth Balogun, Amy Okonkwo, and Murjanatu Musa could not prevent the South Koreans from winning the first quarter by four points.

 

The South Koreans, who were sharp from three-point range, ended the first quarter with 26 points while the Nigerian side managed 22.

 

The second quarter saw an improved D'Tigress side that showed grit and hunger. However, their drive was not enough to stop an effective Korean team from extending their lead. 

 

Nigeria closed the half with 45 points, thanks to Ezinne Kalu's 10 points, Amukamara's three assists, and Musa's 11 rebounds, while South Korea led 48-45 at the break.

 

Like the first and second quarters, the third quarter was keenly contested as Nigeria fought back on several occasions. Kalu added three assists and Okonkwo reached a cumulative 15 points as they tried to overtake their Asian rivals. 

 

Despite the effort, Coach Wakama's side trailed South Korea at the end of the third quarter, which ended 68-62.

 

Heading into the fourth and final quarter with the aim of leveling the scores and winning their first game of the competition, D'Tigress became more adventurous.

 

They pushed forward hoping to score more points, but they met a sturdy Korean defence that gave no room for errors.

 

The same could not be said of Nigeria's defence, which grew porous in the closing stages of the game. They conceded fouls easily and gave the Koreans multiple opportunities on the attack.

 

By the end of the game, the Koreans had 99 points, claiming an 18-point victory over the African champions, who finished with 81.

 

It was not the best of games for the Nigerian side, which failed to convert most of their three-point attempts and were not strong defensively.

 

As it stands, the D'Tigress need to beat Hungary in their next game, on Saturday, September 5, to keep their hopes alive of progressing to the quarter-finals, before closing out the group stage against France.