FIBA World Cup: D’Tigress arrive in Berlin, receive warm Nigerian welcome

Nigeria’s D’Tigress have arrived in Berlin ahead of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, where the reigning African champions will begin their campaign against South Korea.

The Nigerian team received a warm welcome from Ambassador Ita Enang, officials of the Nigerian Embassy and members of the Nigerian community in Berlin upon their arrival in the German capital.

The welcome provided a home-away-from-home moment for D’Tigress as they prepare for another major international challenge.

Nigeria will compete in Group B alongside South Korea, Hungary and France, with the four teams battling for places in the knockout stage of the tournament.

D’Tigress will open their World Cup campaign against South Korea before facing Hungary and France in their remaining group matches.

The Nigerian side arrives in Berlin as the reigning FIBA Women’s AfroBasket champions, having continued its dominance of African women’s basketball.

D’Tigress retained their continental crown after defeating Mali 78-64 in the final of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The victory extended Nigeria’s remarkable run on the continent and secured another opportunity for the team to compete against the world’s best.

Nigeria has also enjoyed memorable moments at previous editions of the Women’s Basketball World Cup.

D’Tigress reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 tournament in Tenerife, Spain, recording Nigeria’s best-ever finish at the global competition.

The 2026 tournament now presents the African champions with another opportunity to go further and make history on the world stage.

However, the road will not be straightforward.

France represents the highest-ranked opponent in Nigeria’s group and will provide a major test for D’Tigress, while South Korea and Hungary will also pose different challenges during the group phase.

Nigeria’s recent continental success has raised expectations around the team, but the World Cup will demand another level of performance from the African champions.

For D’Tigress, the focus will be on converting their dominance in Africa into results against some of the strongest basketball nations in the world.

The support from the Nigerian community in Berlin could also provide an important boost as the team begins its campaign.

With the Nigerian flag flying in Berlin and the African champions ready for action, D’Tigress will look to make their presence felt when the World Cup gets underway.

Nigeria’s opening game against South Korea will set the tone for the group campaign, with Hungary and France waiting in the remaining fixtures.

For the reigning African champions, the mission is clear: compete, advance and give Nigeria another reason to believe on the global basketball stage.