AfroBasket 2025: Dominant Nigeria D’Tigress Thrash Cameroon 83-47 to Set Up Semifinal Showdown with Senegal

Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, reaffirmed their dominance on the African continent by cruising past Cameroon with a commanding 83-47 victory in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025 held on Thursday night in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

With this emphatic win, the six-time African champions and current title holders have advanced to the semi-final round where they will face Senegal, a traditional basketball powerhouse in Africa, in what promises to be a pulsating encounter.

Cameroon started the game with a quick burst, taking an early 4-0 lead, hinting at a possible upset. However, the Nigerians swiftly turned the tide, responding with a 7-4 lead that marked the beginning of their relentless dominance. The depth and athleticism of Coach Rena Wakama’s squad proved too much for a Cameroonian team visibly drained from their late-night qualifying battle against Angola.

By halftime, D’Tigress had established full control, heading to the locker room with a 36-18 lead. Amy Okonkwo emerged as the spark plug for Nigeria, delivering an electrifying first-half performance with 15 points and 5 rebounds.

Coming off the bench, Victoria Macaulay provided crucial minutes with excellent play inside the paint, combining defensive presence and offensive fluidity that further frustrated Cameroon’s already collapsing resistance.

The third quarter widened the gap significantly, with Nigeria stretching the lead to 66-31, effectively putting the game beyond Cameroon’s reach.

Impressive Stats from the D’Tigress Squad:

• Amy Okonkwo capped the night with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist, showcasing her all-around brilliance.
• Ezinne Kalu, playing point guard, masterfully directed the offense and ended the game with 5 assists, providing stability and tempo.
• Nicole Enabosi added 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, while maintaining strong court presence.
• Victoria Macaulay ended with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, underlining her two-way impact.
• Elizabeth Balogun contributed 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, rounding off a complete team effort.

D’Tigress Secure 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers Spot

With the victory, Nigeria officially secured a place in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments, scheduled to take place in March 2026. This spot was also earned by the other semifinalists — Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan — making up the four African representatives for the global qualifiers.

They will compete among 24 national teams across four qualification tournaments for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026.

Other qualified teams from the Americas include:
Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Colombia — a mix of global heavyweights and emerging contenders.