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Tag: D’Tigress

  • BREAKING: D’Tigress clinch historic fifth consecutive women’s Afrobasket title

    BREAKING: D’Tigress clinch historic fifth consecutive women’s Afrobasket title

    Nigeria’s D’Tigress have once again etched their name into the history books, emerging as champions of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket in Côte d’Ivoire after a commanding 78-64 victory over Mali in Sunday’s final.

    Led by head coach Rena Wakama, the Nigerian side delivered a stellar performance at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan to secure their fifth straight continental crown — a feat no other nation has achieved in the tournament’s history.

    The win also guarantees D’Tigress an automatic berth at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany.

    Having edged past a tough Senegalese team in a dramatic semi-final, where they rallied in the fourth quarter to secure a hard-fought win, D’Tigress showed a different level of composure and dominance in the final against Mali.

    Mali came out strong, finishing the first quarter with a 26-21 lead. But Nigeria responded swiftly, leveling the game 41-41 by halftime.

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    The third quarter saw D’Tigress turn on the style, as they pulled ahead 61-56. By the final quarter, the Nigerian side tightened their defense and restricted Mali to just eight points, cruising to a 14-point triumph.

    With this latest victory, Nigeria has now lifted the Women’s Afrobasket trophy seven times in total — 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 — and remain unbeaten in the competition for a decade. The team’s last loss in the tournament dates back to October 2, 2015, against hosts Cameroon.

    This fifth consecutive title reaffirms D’Tigress’ status as the undisputed queens of African women’s basketball.

  • Tinubu dispatches presidential delegation to support D’Tigress in AfroBasket final

    Tinubu dispatches presidential delegation to support D’Tigress in AfroBasket final

    …says team embodies Nigerian spirit, urges them to “go for gold, go for glory”

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a high-level presidential delegation to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, to rally support for Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, as they vie for a historic fifth consecutive AfroBasket title on Sunday night (tonight).

    The delegation is led by Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, and includes top government officials and notable figures in Nigeria’s sports and media landscape. 

    Among them are Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Anite; former Minister of Sports and presidential spokesman, Sunday Dare; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Otega Ogra; and Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi.

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    President Tinubu, in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, @officialABAT, just hours before the final, said the delegation represents “the full weight of our national pride, belief, and support” for the team.

    “Our girls have shown character, discipline, and the Nigerian spirit in every game. As they prepare for the final, we stand behind them—not just as fans, but as a grateful nation inspired by their excellence,” the President said, encouraging the team to “go for gold, go for glory.”

    Tagged with the hashtag #MissionV, the President’s message reflects Nigeria’s confidence in D’Tigress to extend their dominance in African women’s basketball with a fifth straight championship.

    The D’Tigress, who remain unbeaten in AfroBasket competition for a decade, are set to face their final opponent in what has been dubbed a decisive showcase of skill, resilience, and national pride. 

    Victory would not only reaffirm Nigeria’s supremacy on the continent but also bolster its growing profile on the global basketball stage.

  • AfroBasket Final: Tinubu assures D’Tigress of full support in historic title pursuit

    AfroBasket Final: Tinubu assures D’Tigress of full support in historic title pursuit

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pledged his full support to Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, as they prepare for Sunday’s final at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where they aim to clinch a fifth consecutive continental title.

    In a congratulatory message on Sunday morning, President Tinubu hailed the team’s “remarkable achievement” after a gritty 75–68 semi-final victory over long-time rivals Senegal, marking their seventh consecutive win over the West African foes and securing a place in their fifth straight AfroBasket final.

    The President described the game—played at the Palais De la Sport, Treichville—as “the final before the final,” commending the reigning champions for their resilience, discipline, and enduring dominance on the African basketball stage.

    “I have observed the discipline, focus, and team spirit consistently displayed by D’Tigress throughout this tournament—qualities that have brought honour to our nation and earned respect for our players and coaches worldwide,” President Tinubu said.

    Read Also: Nigerians await you with the trophy, First Lady tells D’Tigress after Afrobasket semi-final win

    He reserved special praise for Head Coach Rena Wakama, D’Tigress’ first female coach, whose leadership, the President said, continues to lift the team to greater heights.

    “I especially commend Rena Wakama… whose leadership and experience—both on the court and now from the bench—continue to inspire D’Tigress to new heights in this highly competitive sport,” Tinubu stated.

    Celebrating the team’s qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers, the President assured the players and coaching crew that his administration stands firmly behind them in their quest to lift the AfroBasket trophy for a record-extending seventh time.

    “Be assured of my unwavering support as you pursue your fifth consecutive AfroBasket title,” President Tinubu declared.

  • Nigerians await you with the trophy, First Lady tells D’Tigress after Afrobasket semi-final win

    Nigerians await you with the trophy, First Lady tells D’Tigress after Afrobasket semi-final win

    First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has congratulated the country’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, for their semi-final victory at the ongoing FIBA Afrobasket Women’s Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, declaring that the nation is waiting to receive them home with the trophy.

    In a statement released on Sunday following the team’s qualification for the tournament’s final, the First Lady hailed the D’Tigress for sustaining an impressive 10-year unbeaten run, describing the team as a symbol of commitment, hard work, and a source of inspiration to girls and women across the country.

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    “You are true inspirations and pride to girls and women in general,” she said, while commending the players for their love for the game and patriotism in flying Nigeria’s flag high.

    Senator Tinubu offered prayers for the team’s final game, expressing confidence that their efforts would be rewarded with victory.

    “I pray that as you step out for the final match, God will crown your efforts and grant you great success,” she said.

    The First Lady concluded with a stirring note of anticipation: “We all await your arrival, with the trophy again.”

  • D’Tigress beat Senegal 75-68 to reach Afrobasket final

    D’Tigress beat Senegal 75-68 to reach Afrobasket final

    Nigeria’s D’Tigress are through to the final of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket after edging past Senegal 75–68 in a tense semifinal showdown at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Côte d’Ivoire.

    The victory keeps alive Nigeria’s quest to make history as the first African nation to win five consecutive Afrobasket titles.

    Billed as the “final before the final,” the matchup brought together two of Africa’s basketball giants and fierce rivals, and it more than lived up to expectations.

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    Senegal came out firing, jumping to an 11–2 lead within the first three minutes of play. But Nigeria responded with a stunning 13–0 run to seize a 14–11 advantage, eventually closing the first quarter ahead at 22–17.

    The second quarter proved equally competitive, with both teams going back and forth. D’Tigress narrowly edged the period 21–20, punctuated by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Victoria Thiaw — her first points of the game — to take a 43–37 lead into halftime.

    Senegal roared back in the third quarter, tightening up defensively and dominating the scoreboard with a 21–9 run. The comeback handed them a 58–52 lead heading into the final frame.

  • D’Tigress beat Senegal 75-68 to reach fifth consecutive Afrobasket final

    D’Tigress beat Senegal 75-68 to reach fifth consecutive Afrobasket final

    Nigeria’s D’Tigress are through to the final of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket after edging past Senegal 75–68 in a tense semifinal showdown at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Côte d’Ivoire.

    The victory keeps alive Nigeria’s quest to make history as the first African nation to win five consecutive Afrobasket titles.

    Billed as the “final before the final,” the matchup brought together two of Africa’s basketball giants and fierce rivals, and it more than lived up to expectations.

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    Senegal came out firing, jumping to an 11–2 lead within the first three minutes of play. But Nigeria responded with a stunning 13–0 run to seize a 14–11 advantage, eventually closing the first quarter ahead at 22–17.

    The second quarter proved equally competitive with both teams going back and forth. D’Tigress narrowly edged the period 21–20, punctuated by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Victoria Thiaw — her first points of the game — to take a 43–37 lead into halftime.

    Senegal roared back in the third quarter, tightening up defensively and dominating the scoreboard with a 21–9 run. The comeback handed them a 58–52 lead heading into the final frame.

    But D’Tigress, showing resilience and championship pedigree, turned the tide once more in the fourth quarter, executing on both ends of the court to close out a memorable win.

  • D’Tigress await  AfroBasket ‘s Quarter-Finals’ opponent today

    D’Tigress await  AfroBasket ‘s Quarter-Finals’ opponent today

    Reigning champions Nigeria’s D’Tigress will  later tonight  know the identity of their quarter-finals’ opponent at the ongoing 2025 Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.

    The Nigerian team will take on either Cameroon or Angola, depending on the outcome of their qualification’s  match later tonight.

    D’Tigress secured top spot in Group D with a perfect record, winning both of their matches. They opened their campaign with a dominant 92-45 victory over Rwanda, followed by a hard-fought 60-55 win against Mozambique.

    Their strong performance has earned them a direct ticket to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the Angola vs. Cameroon clash.

    Cameroon finished second in Group B with one win and one loss. They narrowly defeated South Sudan 70-63 but suffered a 75-49 defeat to group leaders Mali. Angola, meanwhile, advanced to the knockout stage despite losing both of their Group A matches against hosts Côte d’Ivoire and Egypt.

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    The quarter-final tie involving D’Tigress is scheduled for tomorrow, July 31st.

    Nigeria are aiming for their seventh AfroBasket title, having won the last four editions. Only Senegal have claimed more titles in the tournament’s history, with 11.

    Senegal will face Rwanda in the Round of 16, and should they advance, they will meet Côte d’Ivoire in the quarter-finals.

    In other Round of 16 fixtures, Egypt will battle South Sudan, while Mozambique will face Guinea.

    The group winners — Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Uganda, and Nigeria — have all received byes into the quarter-finals and will return to action on Thursday when the knockout stage resumes.

  • AfroBasket: Kalu credits Wakama for D’Tigress’ win against Mozambique

    AfroBasket: Kalu credits Wakama for D’Tigress’ win against Mozambique

    D’Tigress guard Ezinne Kalu has shed light on Nigeria’s tough start and eventual 60-55 comeback win over Mozambique at the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket in Côte d’Ivoire.

    Nigeria struggled early in the game, starting sluggish and allowing Mozambique too much space, particularly on the offensive boards.

    “We started out really slow. We didn’t play Nigerian basketball. We gave up too many open shots,” Kalu admitted, reflecting on the team’s first-half performance.

    The turning point came at halftime, when a passionate message from head coach Rena Wakama and her technical crew helped reset the players’ mind-set. “In the second half, the coach said, ‘Listen, it’s time to turn it up. It’s time to play Nigerian basketball. Third quarter is a new game.’ We just came out with a little more energy,” Kalu said.

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    Despite Mozambique’s physicality and aggressive play, Nigeria managed to turn the tide. “Mozambique is a great team. You can’t sleep on them. We allowed them to drive too much and they grabbed about eight offensive rebounds. We just didn’t come out playing our game,” she added.

    Kalu also emphasized the importance of mental sharpness and self-belief. “We know we’re a great team, but sometimes we get in our own heads and get a little lazy. Nobody wants to keep seeing Nigeria at the top, so we’ve got to keep reminding ourselves who we are.”

    Although pleased with the win, Kalu stressed that D’Tigress still have work to do. “Right now, we’re still not fully playing Nigerian basketball, but I know we can do more. We’ll recover, watch film, correct our mistakes in practice, and take it one game at a time because everyone is pushing.”

  • Gritty D’Tigress  edge Mozambique to romp into AfroBasket Q-Finals

    Gritty D’Tigress  edge Mozambique to romp into AfroBasket Q-Finals

    The  D’Tigress, the national women’s senior basketball team,  narrowly avoided an upset  as they   fought back to edge resilient Mozambique 60-55 in a thrilling 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket  clash at the Palais de Treichville in Abidjan yesterday.

    With this hard-fought win, Nigeria secured  a place in the quarterfinals, joining Uganda, who also advanced from Group C with two wins in as many games.

    Mozambique started strong, outscoring the D’Tigress 13-9 in the opening quarter. The second quarter was evenly contested at 15-15, leaving the Southern Africans with a narrow 28-24 lead at halftime.

    Mozambique came out firing in the third quarter, opening with a 7-0 run to extend their advantage. However, Nigeria soon found their groove and responded by outscoring Mozambique 18-15 in the period, cutting the deficit to just one point heading into the final quarter.

    Nigeria kicked off the fourth quarter with a 6-0 burst, setting the tone for the closing moments. Despite Mozambique’s continued fight, the D’Tigress held their nerve, outscoring their opponents 18-12 in the final stretch to clinch a tough five-point victory.

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    Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu led Nigeria with a game-high 16 points and added four assists. Promise Amukamara contributed 13 points and six rebounds, while Murjanatu Musa put in an impressive all-around performance, recording 12 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, five assists, and three steals, showcasing her impact on both ends of the court.

    Reigning MVP Amy Okonkwo is yet to reach her best form this tournament but chipped in with eight points and two steals to help secure the win which keeps  Nigeria on course as they aim for a historic fifth consecutive Afrobasket title.

     “We are going to keep fighting to the top. We are going back to the top,” D’Tigress’ guard Ezinne Kalu declared after the energy-sapping match. “Keep supporting us; every game won’t be the same, but we promise to keep on fighting.”

    Acknowledging the intensity of the competition, she emphasized the team’s strong mind-set : “We have a tough mentality. We know it is not going to be easy. You should expect Nigeria fighting more and harder.”

    Earlier in the day, Group C witnessed another surprise as Senegal suffered their second straight loss, narrowly falling 73-70 to Uganda.

  • D’Tigress crush Rwanda  in FIBA Afro Basket Opener

    D’Tigress crush Rwanda  in FIBA Afro Basket Opener

    Defending Women basketball champions, Nigeria’s D’Tigress have sent an early warning to the rest of the teams after a dominant display against Rwanda in their first game of the 2025 FIBA Women Afro-Basket Championship in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

    The Nigerian girls who headed into the competition boosted with increased welfare packages by  the National Sports Commission(NSC), wasted no time to lay down their mission in Abidjan, beating the Rwandan girls by  92- 45 points at the Palais des sports de Treichville.

    The victory  marked  the D’Tigress’  25th  win in a row in the tournament, dating back to October 2015.

    The Rene Wakama-led  team blew the Rwandans away from the first quarter with a 17- 8 points lead, before going on to dominate the second quarter 28-17 points and eventually leaving their opponents far behind with a 26-12 points and 21-8 points gap in the third and fourth quarters.

    France-based Elizabeth Balogun dominated the Nigerian team individual performance with a total of 18 points , 4 rebounds and 2 assists and was closely followed by Victoria Macaulay who plays in Turkey, with 13 points , 3 rebounds and 5 assists.

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    Coach Wakama said she was  happy with the win but stated that they have got high standards for themselves as a team and the focus is to keep improving with each game because the current squad is a new team.

    ” It’s a good win for us today and we can only control how we want to perform and for us as a team, we want to be the standard and this is our mind-set as a group.”.

    ” The 2023 team that won the Afrobasket is different from this team and for this team, this is our first game together ever and I understand that as a coach. I am still trying to figure out rotations and the players too are trying to know each other better on the court”.

    ” I must give credit to my girls because they all understand the reason why we are here and we want to remain professional and focused by taking each game at a time”, Wakama concluded.

    The Team’s next game is against Mozambique on Monday as the quest to win the Women’s FIBA Afro basketball tournament for the fifth consecutive time continues in Abidjan.