By Silvernews
South East representative on the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Ugo Udezue, has joined the federation’s president, Musa Kida, in praising Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, for their commanding performance against Colombia in their opening Group D match of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Villeurbanne, France.
Udezue described the victory as a strong statement of Nigeria’s intent at the global tournament, noting that the team once again demonstrated the resilience and quality that have made them a dominant force in African women’s basketball.
He said the display reflects the steady growth of the sport in Nigeria under the current leadership of the federation led by Engr. Musa Kida.
D’Tigress controlled the contest from the outset, taking the first quarter 18–12 before narrowly losing the second quarter 17–16 to head into halftime with a 34–29 lead.
The African champions returned from the break with renewed determination, overwhelming the Colombians 19–5 in the third quarter before sealing the game with a 17–3 finish to secure a convincing 70–37 victory.
The win further underscores Nigeria’s pedigree on the continent, with D’Tigress having claimed the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title seven times, including an unprecedented run of five consecutive championships between 2017 and 2025.
Nigeria will continue their Group D campaign against Korea today at 2.00 p.m. Nigerian time, before taking on the Philippines on Saturday, host nation France on Sunday and Germany in their final preliminary round match on March 17, as the African champions aim to make another strong impact on the world stage.
