D’Tigress guard Ezinne Kalu has called on Nigerians in Berlin, Germany, to come out and support the team at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup starting on Friday, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Kalu, 34, has been a key player for the team for ten years. She joined the national side during the 2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Since then, she has helped Nigeria win five Women’s AfroBasket titles in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025. She also played in the 2018 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Spain, scoring an average of 10.6 points, three rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. D’Tigress went out in the quarter-finals that year.
As she prepares for her second World Cup with Nigeria, the Zhejiang Golden Bulls player is asking Nigerians in Germany to come out and support the team.
“We are heading to Berlin for the World Cup, and we need our people there to support us. So we need every Nigerian near Berlin to come through. Bring your flag, your voice and energy,” Kalu said.
D’Tigress enters the tournament after winning their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title. They secured this victory with a tough 78-64 win over Mali in the 2025 final.
Their success continued from a historic run at the Paris 2024 Olympics. There, D’Tigress became the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games.
Nigeria qualified for the 2026 World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket. They also took part in the World Cup qualifying tournament in Lyon-Villeurbanne, France, but the campaign was tough. They lost three out of five games.
D’Tigress will play in their third World Cup in Germany. They previously participated in the 2006 and 2018 tournaments. Their best finish was in 2018, when they reached the quarter-finals and ended up eighth overall.
Nigeria is in Group A and will kick off their campaign against South Korea on Friday. They will then face Hungary on Saturday and finish with France on Monday.
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