Nigeria's junior basketball teams endured contrasting fortunes on the opening day of the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket Championship in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, as the Junior D'Tigress secured a morale-boosting victory while the Junior D'Tigers suffered a heavy defeat on Wednesday.

The Junior D'Tigress opened their Group C campaign with a determined 54-50 win over Tunisia, displaying resilience and composure in a closely contested encounter. Nigeria trailed 15-13 after the opening quarter but responded strongly to edge ahead 27-25 at halftime.

The Nigerian girls maintained their discipline throughout the second half before pulling away in the closing stages, outscoring Tunisia 11-6 in the fourth quarter to claim a valuable opening victory that strengthens their chances of advancing to the knockout phase.

The men's team, however, faced a stern test against six-time champions Egypt in their Group A opener. The Junior D'Tigers were beaten 95-68 after the Egyptians seized control from the outset.

Egypt established a 32-23 first-quarter lead before extending their advantage with a 24-20 second period. Nigeria struggled to contain Egypt's attacking intensity after the interval, scoring just 12 points in the third quarter as the North Africans cruised to a convincing 27-point victory.

Despite the setback, several Nigerian players produced encouraging performances. Victor Emeka Nwafor led the scoring with 16 points, while Victor Endurance Sunday added 15. Isaiah John contributed 14 points, Emmanuel Idornigie finished with nine, and Olakunle David Kayode chipped in six points.

Attention now turns to the remaining group-stage fixtures, with both teams aiming to keep their quarter-final ambitions on track. The Junior D'Tigress will look to build on their winning start when they face Cameroon, while the Junior D'Tigers must bounce back against Chad in a crucial encounter to revive their AfroBasket campaign.

Join the Savid News channel on WhatsApp: 

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb8MmvPBFLgRvBZgp40e