₦airaland Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fMsxHKaGHA

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.

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.

As Africa’s top teams clash at the ongoing 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, D’Tigress stars Murjanatu Musa, Amy Okonkwo, and Ezinne Kalu have been shortlisted in the Fan Vote poll for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 29th edition of the biennial tournament, which is currently in the knockout stages, have seen some spectacular displays and shocking results, with Uganda recording an upset victory over 11-time champions Senegal while debutants South Sudan defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals.

Also, individual stars have lit up the tournament with jaw-dropping performances, amongst which Nigeria’s D’Tigress stars including Musa, Okonkwo and Kalu have been included in a 20-player list for the MVP gong, that basketball fans will be voting for come the end of the competition on Sunday, August, 3.

Musa has been a key figure in Nigeria’s impressive run to the knockout stage, delivering consistent performances on both ends of the court. She opened her campaign with 12 points in the dominant 92–45 win over Rwanda and matched that output with another 12 points in the hard-fought 60–55 victory against Mozambique. The former Phoenix Mercury forward is currently averaging 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game

Okonkwo has also made a strong impression at the tournament, contributing 10 points in the opener against Rwanda and adding eight more in the narrow win over Mozambique. Meanwhile, 33-year-old veteran Ezinne Kalu brought her wealth of experience to bear, scoring seven points in the first game before stepping up with 16 points in Nigeria’s second group match.

The D’Tigress trio—Musa, Okonkwo, and Kalu—now find themselves among the standout players shortlisted in the Fan Vote poll for the Most Valuable Player award.

Joining them on the list of potential MVPs are Dulcy Fankam and Jessica Thomas of Cameroon, Egypt’s Raneem Elgewady, Rwanda’s Bella Murekatete, Senegalese duo Cierra Dillard and Ndioma Kane, Mali’s Sika Koné and Maimouna Haidara, Paige Robinson and Jane Asinde of Uganda, Masseny Kaba of Guinea, South Sudan’s Nyamer Diew, Angola’s Sara Caetano, Mozambique’s Leia Dongue and Ingvild Mucauro, as well as Molly Kaiser and Kariata Diaby of hosts Ivory Coast.

The MVP Fan Vote is not an official award from FIBA 2025 Women’s AfroBasket, it was created for fans to connect and show their support for their favorite players in the tournament..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51T4Gr4rdok?si=jjoVKfAOCiJ02FEi




With their third win in as many games, Nigeria advanced to the semifinals and secured the fourth and final spot for African teams in the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.

The six-time champions, Nigeria's D’Tigresses, have advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 Women's AfroBasket tournament by defeating Cameroon 83-47 and keeping their title defense campaign alive.

The victory extends their unbeaten run in Africa to 27, dating back to 2015, while moving them closer to a record fifth title in a row. Only Senegal have achieved Nigeria's current feat of four.

TURNING POINT: Jessica Thomas and Maria Ewodo got the Indomitable Lionesses off to a 4-0 start with their hot hands, but that was the only dominance they would enjoy once reigning MVP Amy Okonkwo got the defending champions on the board with a free throw.

With a Elizabeth Balogun jump shot, Rena Wakama's side took the lead at 5-4, going on an 8-0 run in the last 2:40 to lead 21-9.

Cameroon adjusted on both ends of the floor to match Nigeria at 20 points in the second quarter. The first-quarter slump saw them trailing 41-29 at halftime.

However, a 25-2 run in the third quarter sealed the fate of the 2021 bronze medalists, rendering their 16-14 lead in the fourth quarter too little, too late.

HERO: Despite Okonkwo's 18 points in just under 19 minutes, the victory was a team effort.

All but one player who got more than 10 minutes of playing time got on the scoreboard with at least one basket. Four players scored in the double digits.

STATS DON'T LIE: Where didn't Cameroon struggle? The side coached by Ahmed Mbombo Njoya was dominated 46-15 in paint points, 21-8 in fast break contributions, and 26-6 in points off turnovers. The Nigerian bench also dominated with a 42-15 advantage.

BOTTOM LINE: While Nigeria continues to rewrite the history of women's basketball in Africa, Cameroon, a former silver medalist, is fighting for fifth place, which would be an improvement of one place from their performance in 2023.


WHAT THEY 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.” Nigeria forward Murjanatu Musa.

“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."- Nigeria guard Ezinne Kalu.

“Nigeria is a great team. They have four or five Olympians, and they play smart basketball. It was tough. I'm upset because we wanted to make history for Cameroon basketball. It's okay, though. Maybe it's not our turn, but we'll keep working for future AfroBaskets and come back stronger.” - Cameroon guard Joelly Belleka.

FIBA

GloriousGbola:
Bush man

The internet unit of scale is the banana.


Or is this the official Nairaland unit of scale?

Silentgroper:
Na Im be that ..


E com like say I dey see fawn coat for that first picture

Twoclans:
Mynd barbeque don set nah .Feed the dogs their loot.

DIVINEEVIDENCE:
If you love bushmeat, either eat that vermin or give it away o.

If you prepare it for your dogs and they acquire the taste, they'll come to expect spiced bushmeat anytime they make a kill.

The day you disappoint them and eat it with your children, if those dogs no inject rabies for una body make i know wetin cause am.

Natbrowny:
After all these.

PLEEEEEEASE DELETE THAT SPOON FROM EXISTENCE.

i didnt say throw it away or bury it

Delete it from this earth STRAAAIGHT UP.

Silentgroper:
They both are .. forget the cost colour of the second one..

nedekid:
Hope you have given them all their shots especially the rabies vaccine.

Silentgroper:
Your dogs looks mixed with Caucasian ..

Myrepublic:
These are normal Lagos and Abuja rats na. They feed like humans beings,hence their sizes.
And they are never scared,they will see you coming close to bola,and still be eating their loots like they own the dustbin

PaNnamdi:
Very soon those dogs would humt u and eat u up because they have stated raw blood the earlier u dispose them the better for you

LARRYOBRAIN:
Enjoy your natural protein, don't forget to share the final pictures.

Bittersweetnig:
the day big cat will show up, let them not mistake it for Rodent oh, else, the fruit of Thier labour will be inside big cat belly

Lanretoye:
Even if you are still going to wash that spoon ,you shouldn’t have used it to carry that thing in the first place.

bobonla:
I'm confused here. Are these not the normal house rats