Nigeria’s D’Tigress booked their place in the final of the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket with a hard-fought 75–68 victory over a spirited Senegalese side on Saturday at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
In a highly competitive clash between two continental heavyweights, Nigeria took a narrow lead in the first quarter, edging it 22–17. They kept their momentum going in the second quarter, winning 21–20 despite Senegal’s physical and determined play.
However, D’Tigress faltered in the third quarter, as Senegal came roaring back with a dominant 21–9 run that shifted the momentum firmly in their favor. With just seven minutes remaining, Senegal led 68–62 and looked poised to seal a place in the final.
But the defending champions showed their trademark resilience. D’Tigress mounted a remarkable comeback, closing the game with a 23–10 burst in the final quarter to seal the win and book a place in Sunday’s championship game.
The victory comes on the heels of Nigeria’s commanding 83–47 win over Cameroon in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.
With their semifinal appearance, Nigeria, along with Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan, have all qualified for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments scheduled for March.
The quartet joins 20 other national teams across the globe, including Brazil, Argentina, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Colombia, who will represent the Americas in the global qualifiers.
