Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered a second successive defeat at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, losing narrowly to Hungary 71–67 in a fiercely contested Group B encounter in Berlin on Saturday.
After opening their campaign with a 99–81 defeat to South Korea, D’Tigress were desperate for a response against Hungary. However, the reigning African champions were left disappointed again as Hungary held their nerve in the decisive moments to secure a four-point victory.
The defeat represents a painful setback for Nigeria, who remained competitive throughout the contest but struggled to produce enough offensively to turn their efforts into victory.
D’Tigress struggled from the field, converting 17 of 44 two-point attempts (39 per cent) and just seven of 25 three-point attempts (28 per cent). They also made 12 of 23 free-throw attempts.
Hungary, meanwhile, were more efficient inside the arc, converting 24 of 41 two-point attempts (59 per cent), while making four of their 14 attempts from three-point range.
The result leaves D’Tigress without a win from their opening two Group B matches and puts their hopes of reaching the knockout stage under significant pressure.
Nigeria’s position had already become delicate following their opening-day defeat to South Korea, with FIBA’s qualification permutations indicating that a victory over Hungary was crucial to keeping their progression hopes firmly alive.
D’Tigress must now produce a major response against France in their final Group B game on Monday, facing one of the toughest challenges in the group.
With France awaiting, the African champions will need to regroup quickly and deliver their best performance of the tournament if they are to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
