FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2026: Junior D’Tigress Open Campaign with Hard-Fought Victory Over Tunisia
Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress began their quest for a maiden FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket title on a winning note after battling past Tunisia 54-50 in their opening Group C fixture on Wednesday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The closely contested encounter at the Salle Polyvalente du Parc des Sports de Treichville saw the Nigerian youngsters show resilience in the closing stages to secure an important first victory of the tournament.
Leading the charge for Nigeria was Favour Joy Anari, who produced an outstanding all-round display with a game-high 14 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing out on a double-double.
Her performance proved decisive as the Junior D’Tigress held off Tunisia’s late rally to claim the four-point win.
The victory gives Nigeria a perfect start in a challenging Group C, which also features Cameroon and Senegal, and provides valuable momentum ahead of the remaining group-stage matches.
The 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket features 12 teams divided into three groups.
The top two teams from each group, alongside the two best third-placed teams, will progress to the quarter-finals.
Nigeria, runners-up in previous editions of the competition, are aiming to go one step further by capturing their first continental title at this year’s championship.
The Junior D’Tigress will return to action on Friday, August 7, when they face Cameroon in another crucial Group C encounter before rounding off the preliminary phase against Senegal on Sunday, August 9.
A positive result against Cameroon would move Nigeria closer to securing an automatic place in the quarter-finals and strengthen their bid for a deep run at the championship.
With confidence boosted by their opening-day success, the Nigerian girls have laid down an early marker in Abidjan.
They can now build on the victory as the race for the African U18 crown gathers momentum.
