Nigeria’s U18 women’s basketball team began their campaign at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket Championship on a winning note, defeating Tunisia 54-50 in a hard-fought Group C clash in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Junior D’Tigress were forced to dig deep against a determined Tunisian side in a closely contested encounter that remained in the balance until the closing stages. After trading baskets for much of the game, Nigeria held their composure when it mattered most to secure a valuable four-point victory and make a positive start to the tournament.
The contest was as close as the final score suggested, featuring nine lead changes and six ties. Nigeria spent 20 minutes and 39 seconds in front, compared to Tunisia’s 16 minutes and 48 seconds, while the Junior D’Tigress also produced the game’s biggest scoring run of 9-0, which proved crucial in sealing the win.
Although Nigeria struggled with their shooting, converting 24 percent of their field-goal attempts compared to Tunisia’s 31 percent, they made the difference at the free-throw line by shooting 71.4 percent, while Tunisia managed 56 percent. Nigeria also edged the North Africans in two-point shooting, making 31.7 percent of their attempts against Tunisia’s 30 percent, though Tunisia enjoyed the better three-point accuracy with 31.6 percent, compared to Nigeria’s 15.4 percent.
The victory moves Nigeria to the top of Group C with two points after one match. Tunisia occupy second place with one point, while Cameroon and Senegal are yet to get their campaigns underway.
Nigeria arrived in Côte d’Ivoire looking to improve on their runner-up finish at the previous edition of the competition, and the opening-day victory provides the perfect platform as they continue their quest for continental success.
The Junior D’Tigress will now turn their attention to their next group-stage fixture, aiming to build on their winning start and strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout rounds.
