D’Tigress of Nigeria have qualified for the final of the 2025 Women’s Afrobasket in Côte d’Ivoire.
The team defeated Senegal 75–68 in the semi-final clash at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan on Saturday.
The victory secured Nigeria’s fifth consecutive Women’s Afrobasket final appearance since 2017.
D’Tigress progressed to the semi-final after trouncing Cameroon in the quarter-final on Thursday.
The game against Senegal, Nigeria’s perennial basketball rival, was a much tougher contest. The Senegalese team was led by Otis Hughley, a former D’Tigress coach who guided Nigeria to three consecutive Afrobasket titles between 2017 and 2021.
Despite the stiff challenge, Nigeria started strong and led 22–17 at the end of the first quarter.
However, Nigeria’s momentum slowed in the second quarter, with Senegal narrowing the margin to six points. The halftime score stood at 43–37.
The third quarter was poor for D’Tigress, as they managed only nine points and trailed 58–52 going into the final quarter.
But the Nigerian team regrouped in the fourth quarter, forced turnovers, and sank key shots to secure a hard-fought 7-point victory.
Nigeria will face either Mali or South Sudan in the final on Sunday.
Nigeria is now on the brink of making history as the first nation to win five consecutive Women’s Afrobasket titles.
