As Nigeria’s D’Tigress prepare for a decisive quarterfinal clash against hosts Cameroon in the ongoing 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket, star players Ezinne Kalu and Nicole Enabosi have called for focus and improvement, with both admitting the team has yet to hit top form.
“We Haven’t Been Playing Nigeria Basketball” — Ezinne Kalu on D’Tigress Games
Speaking after the narrow 60–55 win over Mozambique in the final group game, D’Tigress point guard and veteran leader, Ezinne Kalu, offered a frank assessment of the team’s performances so far and hinted at a major turnaround in the knockout round.
“You should start to start seeing Nigeria wake up. I mean, we haven’t been playing Nigeria basketball. We could definitely do a lot better,” Kalu declared.
“We’ve made mistakes first game and to the game, but that’s not gonna deter us. We will go in and do what we do best. The coaches are going to get together.”
Kalu emphasized that preparation would be key ahead of the quarterfinal showdown, saying:
“We will watch film, we will practice more, we will also make and fix our mistakes and whoever we have match up for the quarter finals is gonna be one, one possession at a time.”
“We’re Here to Win for Nigeria” — D’Tigress Nicole Enabosi
Power forward Nicole Enabosi, who played a pivotal role in containing Mozambique’s physical frontline, also acknowledged the difficulty of the contest and the need to stay grounded ahead of Thursday night’s clash.
“ We had a really tough win. Mozambique is an amazing team. Respect for all the teams in this tournament, but we’re here to play and win for Nigeria,” Enabosi said.
She reiterated the squad’s commitment to representing the nation with pride, and to defend their continental crown.
Cameroon Awaits, Nigeria Targets Historic Five-Peat
D’Tigress, unbeaten in 26 consecutive Afrobasket games since 2015, are eyeing their fifth straight African title; a feat no other team has ever achieved.
The defending champions finished the group stage with a 100% record, including wins over Rwanda and Mozambique, but have been pushed hard by their opponents and have not yet displayed the fluid dominance that characterized their past campaigns.
The quarterfinal against Cameroon is set for 9:00PM WAT tonight (July 31) at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan.
