Former D’Tigers captain and Nigeria Basketball Federation board member Olumide Oyedeji has described D’Tigress’ disappointing campaign at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup as a major wake-up call, warning that Nigeria can no longer afford to take its dominance in African basketball for granted.
D’Tigress suffered a painful early exit from the World Cup in Berlin after losing all three of their Group B matches, including a heavy 111–56 defeat to France in their final game. The result confirmed one of the most disappointing campaigns in the team’s recent history.
The setback is particularly concerning because it came after a remarkable period for Nigerian women’s basketball. D’Tigress had reached the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the first African team to achieve that feat, before going on to win a fifth consecutive AfroBasket title in 2025.
However, that momentum failed to translate onto the World Cup stage.
Nigeria opened the tournament with an 81–99 defeat to South Korea, before suffering a narrow 67–71 loss to Hungary.
The team then ended the campaign on a devastating note against France, conceding 31 points in the opening quarter and trailing 65–26 at halftime.
Oyedeji believes the results should not simply be treated as an unfortunate tournament but as a warning that requires urgent attention.
The former national team captain said the early elimination is a wake-up call for Nigerian basketball, describing the outcome as a major step backwards for a team that had recently established itself among the continent’s leading basketball nations.
He also warned that Nigeria’s position at the top of African women’s basketball can no longer be taken for granted, with other countries steadily closing the gap.
“The early exit is a wake-up call. It is a major step backward for the team, and urgent attention needs to be paid to the situation because the rest of Africa is also catching up with us.”
That warning comes at a time when the gap between Nigeria and the rest of the continent is becoming increasingly competitive.
While D’Tigress remain the reigning African champions, their World Cup experience exposed several areas requiring improvement, particularly when facing teams with greater depth, preparation and shooting quality.
The France defeat was especially revealing. Nigeria scored only 13 points in each of the first three quarters, while France produced 31, 34 and 30 points respectively. The French side also hit 22 three-pointers, setting a new Women’s World Cup record.
For Oyedeji, the responsibility now extends beyond the players and coaching staff.
Nigeria must look critically at how the women’s basketball programme is being developed, how players are prepared for major international competitions and how the next generation of talent is being integrated into the national-team structure.
The former D’Tigers captain has consistently advocated for stronger structures around Nigerian basketball, and his latest comments underline the need to turn the disappointment in Berlin into a catalyst for meaningful improvement.
D’Tigress still possess considerable talent, experience and a winning culture, but the World Cup has demonstrated that African dominance alone is not enough to compete successfully at the global level.
The challenge now is to ensure that the team does not merely recover from one disappointing tournament, but uses the setback to build a stronger and more sustainable programme.
Nigeria has dominated Africa for years. Oyedeji’s warning is that unless the country moves quickly, the rest of the continent may no longer be chasing D’Tigress — they may soon be catching them.
