Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress will take on Hungary today in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Brno, Czechia, following their 79-61 defeat to Portugal in their final group stage match on Tuesday.
The team coached by Juliana Akhere were hoping to bounce back from a heavy 113-42 loss to Canada in their second group game but were again outplayed by a more clinical Portuguese team. The loss left Nigeria third in Group B, behind Canada and Portugal.
The team had opened their World Cup debut campaign on a high, securing a 93-88 win over China. However, subsequent defeats to Canada and Portugal exposed key weaknesses, including poor shooting efficiency, defensive lapses, and a high number of turnovers.
Portugal dominated three of the four quarters in Tuesday’s encounter, with the third quarter ending in a tie at 18-18. Portugal attempted 71 field goals compared to Nigeria’s 57 and converted 28, while Nigeria managed only 18. The Portuguese were also superior in key metrics, registering 22 assists, 54 rebounds, 14 steals, and seven blocks. Nigeria, in contrast, recorded 13 assists, 40 rebounds, 10 steals, and just one block.
Clara Silva, a former Kentucky player headed to TCU, led the charge for Portugal with a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds. She was ably supported by Leonor Peixinho (16 points), Marta Rodrigues (14), and Maria Andorinho (11), all of whom reached double figures.
For Nigeria, MFM Queens standout Idubamo Beggi posted a team-high 17 points and six assists. Tobenna Nweke followed with 16 points, while Stanford-bound Nora Ezike and Abigail Isaac contributed nine and six points respectively.
With all 16 teams advancing from the group phase, Nigeria will now battle Hungary in a crucial Round of 16 clash. A win will send the Junior D’Tigress to the quarter-finals, while a loss would see them drop into the classification rounds for positions 9 to 16.
Hungary, who finished second in Group A, won two of their three matches—losing only to group leaders USA. Israel finished third in that group with one win, while Korea Republic ended bottom after three straight defeats.
Nigeria will hope to rediscover their early form and produce a strong showing against a disciplined Hungarian side in what promises to be a tightly contested knockout tie.
