Defending champions D’Tigresses of Nigeria powered into the semifinals of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket with a dominant 83–47 win over Cameroon, keeping their unbeaten run alive and edging closer to an unprecedented fifth consecutive title.

The win not only highlights Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s basketball but also extends their unbeaten run in the tournament to 27 games, a streak dating back to 2015. Nigeria is now one step closer to surpassing Senegal as the only team with five straight AfroBasket titles.

Cameroon got off to a promising start with quick baskets from Jessica Thomas and Maria Ewodo, jumping ahead 4–0. However, that momentum was short-lived. Amy Okonkwo, the tournament’s reigning MVP, got Nigeria on the scoreboard with a free throw, which shifted the tide in the D’Tigresses’ favor.

Elizabeth Balogun followed with a jump shot to give Nigeria the lead at 5-4, after which the team went on a decisive 8–0 run, closing the first quarter with a 21–9 advantage.

Though Cameroon managed to match Nigeria point-for-point in the second quarter scoring 20 apiece their earlier slump left them trailing 41-29 at halftime.

The game was effectively sealed in the third quarter when Nigeria exploded with a 25-2 run, completely dismantling Cameroon’s defense. Despite Cameroon outscoring Nigeria 16–14 in the final quarter, the deficit was far too wide to close.

Okonkwo led Nigeria in scoring with 18 points in under 19 minutes, but it was a collective effort that secured the win. Four Nigerian players finished in double figures, and all but one player who played more than 10 minutes registered at least one basket.

With the victory, Nigeria now prepares for a high-stakes semifinal matchup against Senegal, a familiar and formidable opponent. Both teams are the most successful in the history of the competition, making the upcoming contest one of the most anticipated games of the tournament.

Speaking after the win, forward Murjanatu Musa praised the team’s performance and chemistry; she said,

“We played as a team, enjoying the game by doing what we do best, and this is the result. We feel great about making it to the semifinals again. We’ll try our best to make it to the finals. We know them and they know us. We just have to do our thing and see what happens in the end.”

Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu also shared her thoughts, highlighting the identity and intensity of Nigerian basketball;

“We just needed to stick together and play Nigerian basketball. This is the definition of Nigerian basketball: fighting, throwing the first punch, setting the tone, and bringing the energy to win over our supporters and fans. We are super excited to move to the semifinals! It’s going to be a great game. Senegal is a great team, and I’m looking forward to playing them.”

For Cameroon, who finished sixth in the last edition, the focus now shifts to the classification games, where they will aim to secure a fifth-place finish, marking a slight improvement over their 2023 campaign.