Belgium Outclass Nigeria in Comfortable Friendly Victory
Belgium secured a resounding 90-55 win over Nigeria in a women's international friendly on Friday evening. The scoreline reflected a match where the visitors controlled proceedings from start to finish. Belgium had been building momentum with successive tight contests against Italy in mid-August, winning 62-60 before losing 64-63. By then, they clearly had the edge on the Nigerian side.
Nigeria's recent form offered little reason to expect anything different. They had lost 83-58 to Spain just the day before this fixture. Before that, they managed an 88-77 victory over China, but their other outings against WNBA opposition told a starker story. They had fallen to Minnesota Lynx 88-79 and Los Angeles Sparks 89-63 in April.
Belgium's preparation had been more convincing. Beyond their two matches against Italy, they had dispatched Germany 85-60 in June and thrashed the Czech Republic 93-50 in March. Their 102-64 win over South Sudan in mid-March showed the range of their attack. They worked a short corner of tactics here, exposing Nigeria's defensive frailties.
The final margin of 35 points said everything about the gulf between these sides. Belgium did not need to run the show for long — they simply kept their structure intact while Nigeria struggled to find any rhythm. The visitors have not won since their match against South Sudan in March, but this result at least confirmed their superiority over their opponents.
For Nigeria, the scoreline extended a run of heavy defeats. They have not won since their clash with China in August, and this latest result added another chapter to that sequence. The goal difference now stands at -35 for this fixture, a reflection of the one-sided nature of the encounter.
Belgium's performance suggested they could spring a surprise in future competitions. They dug in defensively when needed and punished Nigeria's errors with clinical finishing. The stadium fell silent as the final whistle approached, but the result was never in doubt.