Nigeria’s women’s basketball team suffered a narrow 93–86 defeat to France women’s at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Villeurbanne on Sunday, as the hosts maintained their unbeaten run in the competition.
The African champions pushed the French side throughout the contest but were unable to overturn an early deficit despite a spirited second-half comeback that briefly reduced the gap to just two points.
France, ranked number three in the world, dominated the first 10 minutes, shooting with impressive efficiency and capitalising on defensive rebounds to launch counter-attacks.
Nigeria struggled initially to convert from two-point range, shooting 44 per cent compared with France’s 80 per cent accuracy in the early stages. The disparity helped France surge into a 27–15 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The D’Tigress gradually settled into the game during the second quarter despite a disrupted rhythm caused by multiple fouls and free throws.
Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu sparked the Nigerian revival with a scoring burst that included eight points, helping the African champions claw back some momentum.
France continued to demonstrate clinical finishing from the perimeter. The combination of Janelle Salaun and Gabby Williams proved particularly effective as the French side maintained a remarkable shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
By half-time, the hosts had converted nine of their first 13 three-point attempts, an extraordinary 69 per cent success rate that at one stage climbed above 80 per cent. Their shooting efficiency ensured they carried a comfortable 57–45 advantage into the break.
Nigeria responded strongly after half-time and quickly reduced the deficit. A brief 5–0 run early in the third quarter narrowed the gap to 57–50 and forced France coach Jean-Aime Toupane to call a timeout.
The pause in play helped France regain their composure, and it responded immediately when Marine Johannes converted a three-point shot following a missed attempt by Nigeria’s Elizabeth Balogun.
As the match progressed, both teams experienced a natural decline in shooting accuracy as defensive intensity increased. Nigeria capitalised on that shift by tightening its defensive structure and forcing more contested attempts from the French attack.
The African champions’ persistence paid off at the start of the final quarter when they closed the gap to just two points at 76–74, raising hopes of a dramatic turnaround.
France quickly regained breathing space after a key defensive play from Pauline Astier, whose interception created a scoring opportunity that Romane Bernies converted to restore a five-point lead at 79–74.
From that moment, the match evolved into an intense exchange of baskets as both teams traded scores in rapid succession. Nigeria repeatedly attempted to reduce the margin but was unable to seize control of the game.
Despite their resilience, the D’Tigress never managed to draw level or take the lead as France carefully protected their advantage in the closing minutes. The hosts eventually secured a 93–86 victory to register their fourth win in as many matches in the qualifying tournament.
The result continued France’s long-standing dominance over Nigeria in World Cup qualifying encounters while confirming their status as one of the favourites for the global competition.
The D’Tigress had already secured their World Cup berth after winning the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket title, their participation in the tournament serves less as a qualification battle and more as preparation for the global championship.
Alongside Nigeria and France, seven other teams have already confirmed their participation in the 2026 finals, with additional slots still to be decided across the remaining qualifying groups.
In the France-hosted group, qualification places have already been settled with both France and South Korea securing tickets to the finals alongside already-qualified Nigeria and Germany.
The remaining teams in the group, Colombia and Philippines, are now playing primarily for pride in the final round of fixtures.
For head coach Rena Wakama, the competition provides an opportunity to assess squad depth and tactical flexibility against some of the strongest teams in world basketball.
Nigeria entered the clash with France carrying a mixed record at the tournament, alternating between victories and defeats across their first three games.
They began the campaign with an emphatic 70–37 victory over Colombia before suffering a 77–60 loss to South Korea. The D’Tigress responded strongly in their third outing, producing an impressive offensive performance to defeat the Philippines 101–84.
Sunday’s narrow loss to France leaves Nigeria with a two-win, two-loss record from four games at the Villeurbanne event.
The African champions will now conclude their campaign in the tournament with a challenging encounter against tournament hosts Germany on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Colombia and the Philippines will face each other in a match that will determine which side finishes above the other in the standings.
France, buoyed by their unbeaten run in the qualifiers, will meet South Korea in a decisive game to determine the final standings at the top of the group.
