D’Tigress of Nigeria have advanced to the final of the 2025 Women’s Afrobasket taking place in Côte d’Ivoire.
On Saturday, the Nigerian team edged out Senegal with a 75-68 win in a tightly contested semi-final held at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan.
The triumph marks Nigeria’s fifth straight appearance in the Women’s Afrobasket final since 2017.
D’Tigress reached the semi-final after a dominant victory over Cameroon in Thursday’s quarter-final encounter.
The clash with Senegal, a long-standing rival in African women’s basketball, proved to be far more intense. The Senegalese side was led by Otis Hughley, the former D’Tigress coach who guided Nigeria to three consecutive Afrobasket titles from 2017 to 2021.
Despite the pressure, D’Tigress got off to a strong start, finishing the first quarter ahead at 22-17.
Momentum dipped slightly in the second quarter, allowing Senegal to keep the deficit close, with the half-time score at 43-37 in Nigeria’s favour.
The third quarter posed significant challenges for D’Tigress, who struggled offensively and managed only nine points, trailing 58-52 heading into the final period.
However, the Nigerian side regrouped and delivered a composed final quarter performance, capitalising on crucial turnovers and converting key opportunities to secure a hard-fought 7-point victory.
D’Tigress will now face the winner of the Mali vs South Sudan semi-final in Sunday’s final.
Nigeria now stands on the brink of history, aiming to become the first nation to win five consecutive Women’s Afrobasket titles.