Nigeria Opens FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket Campaign Against Tunisia
Nigeria has been drawn in a challenging Group C for the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket following the official draw conducted by FIBA ahead of the continental championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Nigerian girls will face Tunisia, Cameroon and Senegal in what promises to be one of the toughest groups of the competition.
Hosts Côte d’Ivoire headline Group A alongside Uganda, Kenya and the Central African Republic, while Group B comprises Mali, Morocco, Egypt and Benin.
Nigeria will begin its campaign against Tunisia on Wednesday, August 5, before taking on Cameroon on Friday, August 7. The group stage concludes with a mouth-watering clash against Senegal on Sunday, August 9.
All three of Nigeria’s Group C matches will be played at the Treichville Arena in Abidjan.
Under the competition format, each of the 12 participating teams will play three group-stage matches. The three group winners, the three runners-up and the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, while the remaining four teams will compete in the classification matches for ninth to 12th place.
The quarter-final pairings will be determined by the overall rankings after the group stage, with the highest-ranked team facing the eighth-ranked qualifier, second taking on seventh, third meeting sixth and fourth playing fifth.
The winners will advance to the semi-finals before the tournament concludes with the third-place playoff and the final.
Beyond the race for the continental title, qualification for the 2027 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in China is also at stake, with the two finalists earning Africa’s slots at the global championship.
