The reigning champions stormed into the semifinals of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket on Thursday night, brushing aside Cameroon with ruthless efficiency in an 83–47 win at the Palais Des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan.
It was Nigeria’s 27th straight win in the competition; a streak that underlines their decade-long dominance of women’s basketball on the continent.
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Now, standing in their way is a familiar foe: Senegal.
The much-anticipated semifinal clash, set for today (Saturday), is more than just a battle for a spot in the final.
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It’s a collision of legacy and loyalty, as Nigeria face their former coach, Otis Hughley, who now leads the Senegalese bench.
Hughley, who guided D’Tigress to AfroBasket titles in 2017 and 2019, knows the core of this Nigerian side intimately.
And that makes this encounter not just tactical, but emotional.
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Speaking to Sportainment.com in Abidjan, D’Tigress Head Coach Rena Wakama admits the game against Sengal will be fierce and emotional.
“On Saturday, it’s going to be a great game, and it will definitely be emotional for some, and that is basketball,” said Wakama, whose leadership delivered Nigeria’s fourth straight AfroBasket title in 2023 and now aims to take them into uncharted territory with a historic fifth. “But we know our mission here, and we will not allow anything to change that. It’s going to be an emotional game and very physical as well.”
Senegal booked their semifinal place with a gritty 66–60 win over hosts Ivory Coast, and they come into this tie hungry; not just to dethrone the champions, but to reclaim their place at the summit of African basketball.
For D’Tigress, Thursday’s dominant win over Cameroon didn’t just secure a semifinal ticket; it also confirmed Nigeria as Africa’s fourth and final representative in the 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.
For Murjanatu Musa, one of Nigeria’s most consistent frontcourt players, the key remains unity and confidence. “We played as a team, enjoying the game by doing what we do best, and this is the result,” she said after the last game.
“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; a mainstay in Nigeria’s golden era, brought fire to the court once again and underlined the identity that continues to drive this team.
“We just needed to stick together and play Nigerian basketball,” Kalu said. “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.”
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A battle for the ages
Today’s showdown carries echoes of past finals; Nigeria defeated Senegal in the championship games of 2017 and 2019 but this time, it comes one step earlier, with the winner advancing to face either Mali or South Sudan in the final.
For Wakama’s side, the stakes couldn’t be clearer. D’Tigress are chasing immortality. Victory today puts them on the brink of a fifth consecutive AfroBasket title; something no team in African history has accomplished.
And in a tournament that has always been about more than basketball, Nigeria’s quest is about legacy, leadership, and proving once again that no one does it better on the continent.
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