Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have discovered their opponents for the final qualifying phase of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, following Monday’s official draw held at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.
The four-time African champions will compete in Lyon-Villeurbanne, France, one of the four host cities for the global qualifiers scheduled between March 11 and 17, 2026.
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D’Tigress have been placed in a challenging group that includes France, Germany, Korea, Colombia, and the Philippines, setting the stage for what promises to be an intense battle for qualification.
The qualifiers represent the final hurdle on the Road to Berlin, where 16 nations will compete for the prestigious FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup trophy in 2026.
The draw ceremony, conducted by Germany’s Marie Guelich and former French captain Endy Miyem, was attended by FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis alongside representatives from participating national federations.
In addition to Lyon-Villeurbanne, the other host cities confirmed for the global qualifiers are Wuhan (China), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Istanbul (Türkiye).
Having qualified for World Championships in Berlin as Africa champions, Nigeria will use the qualifiers as preparatory ground for the World Championships proper as they hope to extend their dominance beyond Africa.
Full Draw Results:
Wuhan, China:
Mali, South Sudan, Brazil, Belgium, Czechia, China.
Lyon-Villeurbanne, France:
Colombia, Philippines, Germany, Korea, France, Nigeria.
San Juan, Puerto Rico:
New Zealand, Puerto Rico, USA, Senegal, Italy, Spain.
Istanbul, Türkiye:
Hungary, Türkiye, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Japan.
