Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, has touched down in Berlin, Germany, to finalize preparations for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup commencing on Friday. Upon their arrival, the five-time African champions were received by Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Ita Enang, alongside other diplomatic officials. This leg follows a rigorous training regimen that included a final camp in Zaragoza, Spain—featuring warm-up matches against Mali and Puerto Rico—following prior training blocks in the United States, China, and Tenerife.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Coached by Rena Wakama, the squad enters the global tournament drawn into Group B, where they will face South Korea on Friday, Hungary on Saturday, and France in their concluding group fixture on Monday. D’Tigress arrives riding strong momentum as the reigning African champions, having defeated Mali 78-64 in the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket final in Abidjan. Building on their historic quarter-final appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics—which marked a first for any African basketball team—the squad aims to surpass or match their best-ever World Cup performance of an eighth-place finish achieved in 2018.

Cesc Fàbregas has been honored as the Serie A Coach of the Year for the 2025–2026 season following an extraordinary campaign that saw him guide Como to a historic fourth-place finish and their maiden qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Collecting the accolade at the Gran Gala del Calcio AIC, the Spanish tactician’s rapid rise from finishing his playing days at the club in Serie B in 2023 to leading their permanent coaching transition in 2024 has completely transformed the Italian side. After a solid 10th-place finish in their top-flight return, Fàbregas disrupted Italy’s football hierarchy with last season’s heroics, a momentum they have carried into the current term with strong results against Udinese and reigning champions Napoli.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Central to his managerial success has been a strong emphasis on youth development, highlighted by the breakout form of Argentine playmaker Nico Paz, who netted 13 goals and added eight assists across 40 appearances last season. Having firmly established the club as a rising force, Fàbregas and Como are now gearing up for their debut Champions League campaign. The historic league phase will feature high-profile home fixtures at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia against Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Leipzig, and AEK Athens, alongside challenging away trips to face Barcelona, Real Betis, Feyenoord, and Lens.

For the upcoming 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany, D’Tigress head coach Rena Wakama has selected Nigeria’s final 12-member roster. Amy Okonkwo will wear the captain’s armband for the reigning African champions as they prepare for only their third global tournament appearance, following prior qualifications in 2006 and 2018. Ezinne Kalu and Promise Amukamara stand out as the sole squad members returning from the 2018 tournament, making them the pioneer Nigerian players to feature in two separate FIBA Women’s World Cups.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶