Mali and Nigeria, the two African representatives at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, were both eliminated on Monday 7 September after losing their final Group B games. Mali fell 58-83 to host nation Germany, while defending African champions D’Tigress were crushed 56-111 by France.
Mali finished the group with one win and two defeats, having beaten Spain on the opening day before losing to Japan and then Germany. Tied on points with Japan, the Malian side were eliminated on the head-to-head result, leaving Japan to advance to the play-off round.
Nigeria completed a difficult campaign with three defeats in three matches, having previously lost to South Korea and Hungary. France’s 55-point margin over D’Tigress confirmed France’s dominance at the top of Group B and ended Nigeria’s World Cup return without a victory.
With both African sides out, no team from the continent remains in contention for the title. The tournament continues in Berlin with play-off games on Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 September, followed by quarter-finals on Friday, semi-finals on Saturday and the final on Sunday 13 September.
The 16-team event will also award the first qualifying quota for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
