Nigeria’s historic run at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Czechia ended on Wednesday with a 77-51 quarterfinal loss to Hungary.
Despite the elimination, the Nigerian team leaves as trailblazers – becoming the first African squad to win a match and advance to the knockout stage in tournament history.
The Junior D’Tigress started strong with a 9-9 first-quarter tie but collapsed in the second quarter (12-30) against the European champions.
A third-quarter rally (15-16) proved insufficient as Hungary sealed victory with a 16-15 final quarter.
Hungary’s Kinga Jisepovits dominated with 19 points, while teammate Eliza Farbas controlled the boards with 13 rebounds. Nigeria’s Tobenna Nweke top-scored with 12 points, with Francis Chukwu contributing 9 rebounds.
Though disappointed with the exit, head coach Adewunmi Aderemi praised her team’s groundbreaking achievement: “We’ve rewritten African basketball history. These girls have shown the world Nigeria’s potential on the global stage.”
The tournament debutantes had earlier stunned hosts Czechia 68-65 in the group stage before falling to USA and Australia.
Their performance has sparked calls for increased investment in Nigeria’s basketball development programs.
