African Champions, Nigeria D’Tigress stormed into the semi-finals of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket with a crushing 83-47 victory over Cameroon on Thursday night in Abidjan, https://www.aclsports.com/ reports.
The six-time and defending champions showed no signs of slowing down, delivering yet another dominant performance that underlined their title credentials.
Cameroon had a bright start, opening the game on a 4-0 run, but that would be their last taste of control in the match. Nigeria responded instantly, going up 7-4, and never looked back.
The energy, precision, and depth of Coach Rena Wakama’s side quickly overwhelmed a Cameroonian team clearly fatigued after a demanding late-night qualification clash against Angola.
By halftime, it was all Nigeria, leading 36-18, with Amy Okonkwo setting the tone. The forward was simply unstoppable, racking up 15 points and 5 rebounds in the first half alone.
Off the bench, Victoria Macaulay brought a spark, combining presence in the paint with offensive efficiency. Nigeria’s strength in depth was again on full display, with more than two players hitting double figures in scoring, the third consecutive game they’ve achieved that feat, the most by any team in consecutive games at this year’s tournament.
By the end of the third quarter, it was a blowout: 66-31 in favour of the D’Tigress.
Amy Okonkwo finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist. Point guard Ezinne Kalu orchestrated the offense with grace and grit, dishing out five assists. Nicole Enabosi added 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. Victoria Macaulay contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Elizabeth Balogun chipped in with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block.
With the win, Nigeria progress to the semi-finals, where they will meet familiar rivals Senegal, who edged out hosts Côte d’Ivoire earlier in the day.
Saturday’s semi-final promises fireworks as Nigeria go head-to-head with 11-time champions Senegal, a fierce and storied rival. Adding further intrigue is the presence of former Nigeria coach Otis Hughley Jr. on the Senegalese bench. Hughley led Nigeria to three AfroBasket titles and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and will now attempt to end the D’Tigress’ reign.
However, the stats and history favour the D’Tigress. Nigeria have won their last seven meetings with Senegal, including the 2017, 2019, and 2023 AfroBasket finals. Senegal’s last win over Nigeria came nearly two decades ago, in 2006.
Coach Wakama’s squad, with its balanced offense, unrelenting defense, and battle-hardened core, will be aiming to make it eight straight wins over Senegal and inch one step closer to a historic five-peat.
Regardless of the semi-final outcome, all four semi-finalists, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, and South Sudan , have officially booked their spots in the FIBA 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, set to take place in March next year.
The road to gold gets tougher, but the D’Tigress look more than ready.
