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D’Tigress Suffer Heavy Defeat to Belgium in World Cup Warm-Up

Posted : 24 August 2026

Nigeria’s D’Tigress suffered a second heavy defeat in two days after losing 90-55 to Belgium in a World Cup warm-up game in Tenerife on Saturday. The result came less than 24 hours after Nigeria were beaten 83-58 by Spain at the same venue.

The African champions started competitively against Belgium but struggled to maintain their intensity after halftime. Belgium led 24-14 after the opening quarter, but Nigeria responded strongly in the second period to reduce the deficit to 39-33 at the break.

Belgium then produced the decisive burst in the third quarter. The Belgian Cats outscored Nigeria 32-11 to take a commanding 71-44 lead into the final period, before adding another 19 points in the fourth quarter to complete the 35-point victory.

Emma Meesseman led Belgium with 20 points and seven rebounds. Alicia Courthiau added 14 points, while Julie Vanloo provided eight assists as Belgium recorded 36 assists and converted 12 three-pointers. Coach Mike Thibault used 13 players, with every Belgian player getting on the scoresheet.

For D’Tigress coach Rena Wakama, the back-to-back defeats provide valuable tests before the World Cup begins. Nigeria had previously beaten China 88-77 in Foshan, but their latest results leave them with a 1-5 record in the preparation games listed by FIBA.

The Nigerian team will continue its preparations in Spain before travelling to Berlin for the World Cup. The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup runs from September 4 to 13 and features 16 teams.

Nigeria are drawn in Group B with France, Hungary and Korea Republic. D’Tigress will face Korea in their opening game before meeting Hungary on September 5 and France on September 7.

The losses to Spain and Belgium expose areas Nigeria will need to address, particularly their ability to sustain defensive pressure and offensive efficiency after halftime. With the World Cup only days away, Wakama's side still has an important window to sharpen its tactics and build consistency before the competitive action begins.

 

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