Nigeria’s D’Tigress Defeat Cameroon to Reach AfroBasket Semis, Secure World Cup Qualifier Spot

Nigeria’s D’Tigress continued their dominant march toward a historic fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title with a commanding 83–47 victory over Cameroon in Thursday night’s quarter-final in Abidjan.

The defending champions, who have not lost a game in the competition since 2015, overcame Cameroon with their trademark depth, defensive discipline, and offensive versatility.

The victory not only propels them into the semi-finals, where they will face continental rivals Senegal, but also secures their place in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, alongside the other semifinalists.

Cameroon opened the game with an early 4–0 run, but D’Tigress responded almost instantly, taking a 7–4 lead that signalled the beginning of their dominance.

By halftime, the scoreboard read 36–18 in Nigeria’s favour, and the second half saw the gap widen beyond recovery for the Cameroonian side, who had played a gruelling late-night playoff against Angola just 24 hours earlier.

Amy Okonkwo was once again the standout for Nigeria, dropping 18 points, six rebounds, and one assist in a powerhouse performance that began with a 15-point first half.

Victoria Macaulay delivered a key spark off the bench with 12 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks. Ezinne Kalu, the experienced floor general, ran the offence smoothly with five assists. Nicole Enabosi added 12 points and three rebounds. Elizabeth Balogun chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds, along with defensive stops.

The result stretches D’Tigress’ unbeaten AfroBasket streak to 27 games, extending back to 2015, and keeps them firmly on course to become the first African team to win five AfroBasket titles in a row (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and potentially 2025).

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