Junior D’Tigers, D’Tigress set for AfroBasket campaign in Cote d’Ivoire

• By Tunde Liadi

Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress have been drawn in Group C of the 2026 FIBA U-18 Women’s AfroBasket Championship alongside Cameroon, Senegal and Tunisia.

The championship will be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from August 5 to 16.

Hosts Côte d’Ivoire headline Group A with the Central African Republic, Kenya and Uganda, while Group B consists of Mali, Egypt, Morocco and Benin.

Nigeria will be aiming to progress from one of the tournament’s toughest groups and challenge for the continental title.

Meanwhile, both Nigeria’s U-18 men’s and women’s teams have arrived in Abidjan ahead of the championship.

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The Junior D’Tigers have been drawn in Group A with hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Chad after qualifying as Zone Three champions.

The Junior D’Tigress will also be seeking a place in the knockout stage as they continue Nigeria’s proud tradition in women’s basketball.

The competition begins with a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group, together with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarter-finals.

The two finalists will qualify to represent Africa at the 2027 FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup.

Both Nigerian teams are expected to complete their final training sessions before the opening games as they target successful campaigns in Abidjan.