Six-time African champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigress roared into the semifinals of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket with a ruthless 83–47 win over Cameroon on Wednesday night at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan.
The dominant victory not only extended the team’s unbeaten run in Africa to 27 games, a streak dating back to 2015 but also sealed Nigeria’s place at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, alongside other semifinalists
- Senegal,
- Mali, and
- South Sudan.
D’Tigress Turning Point: One-Way Traffic After a Shaky Start
Cameroon briefly showed signs of resistance, racing to a 4–0 lead through Jessica Thomas and Maria Ewodo, but Nigeria’s MVP Amy Okonkwo opened the scoring for the defending champions with a calm free throw that flipped the switch.
A jumper from Elizabeth Balogun gave Nigeria their first lead at 5–4, before Coach Rena Wakama’s side closed the quarter on an 8–0 run to lead 21–9.
The second quarter saw a more balanced exchange, but the Indomitable Lionesses never recovered from their early slump and went into halftime trailing 41–29.
Then came the onslaught which was a ruthless 25–2 third-quarter blitz from D’Tigress that flattened Cameroon and effectively ended the contest.
All-Around Team Effort, Led by Okonkwo’s 18 Points
Although Okonkwo finished with 18 points in under 19 minutes, Nigeria’s victory was built on depth and selfless team play.
Four players finished in double digits, and every player with at least 10 minutes on the court got on the scoreboard.
Victoria Macaulay was immense off the bench with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and stifling defense in the paint. Nicole Enabosi added 12 points, while Elizabeth Balogun chipped in 11 points and 5 rebounds.
Point guard Ezinne Kalu, as always, was the heartbeat of the squad, controlling the tempo and dishing five assists, while energizing the team.
“We just needed to stick together and play Nigerian basketball,” said Kalu post-game.
“This is the definition of Nigerian basketball: fighting, throwing the first punch, setting the tone, and bringing the energy to win over our supporters and fans.
We are super excited to move to the semifinals! It’s going to be a great game. Senegal is a great team, and I’m looking forward to playing them.”
Cameroon Crumble Under Pressure
The stats told the story of total Nigerian control:
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Paint Points: Nigeria 46 – 15 Cameroon
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Fast Break Points: Nigeria 21 – 8
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Points off Turnovers: Nigeria 26 – 6
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Bench Points: Nigeria 42 – 15
Cameroon’s coach Ahmed Mbombo Njoya watched his side run out of ideas after the break, as fatigue from a grueling round-of-16 battle against Angola took its toll.
“Nigeria is a great team. They have four or five Olympians, and they play smart basketball,” admitted Cameroon guard Joelly Belleka.
“I’m upset because we wanted to make history for Cameroon basketball. It’s okay, though. Maybe it’s not our turn, but we’ll keep working for future AfroBaskets and come back stronger.”
Murjanatu Musa: “We Did What We Do Best”
D’Tigress forward Murjanatu Musa praised the team’s chemistry and focus:
“We played as a team, enjoying the game by doing what we do best, and this is the result.
We feel great about making it to the semifinals again.”“We’ll try our best to make it to the finals. We know them [Senegal] and they know us. We just have to do our thing and see what happens in the end.”
Up Next: Nigeria vs. Senegal — A Semifinal Classic
Nigeria will now face Senegal, the only other African nation to have won four AfroBasket titles in a row, in a blockbuster semifinal on Saturday.
The tie promises drama, history, and a reunion of sorts as Senegal’s head coach is former D’Tigress boss Otis Hughley, who led Nigeria to three consecutive titles from 2017 to 2021.
Meanwhile, in the other semifinal, Mali will clash with rising force South Sudan.
World Cup Bound: Nigeria Secure Global Stage
With this win, Nigeria joins Senegal, Mali, and South Sudan as Africa’s representatives in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, to be held in March 2026.
The four African giants will compete against the best from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
So far, teams like the USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and Puerto Rico have confirmed their spots in the global race to the next Women’s World Cup.
