Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, will discover their quarter-final opponents today (Wednesday) at the ongoing FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament, as Angola take on Cameroon in a playoff clash.
The defending champions booked their place in the last eight after securing two wins from two in Group D, continuing their impressive dominance on the continental stage.
Under head coach Rena Wakama, the team opened their title defence in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, with a commanding 92–45 victory over Rwanda, followed by a narrow but crucial 60–55 win against a resilient Mozambique side.
That result extended Nigeria’s remarkable unbeaten run at the AfroBasket tournament to 26 games—a streak dating back to 2015, when they last suffered a loss in the semi-finals against hosts Cameroon.
Nigeria would go on to claim the bronze medal that year, defeating Angola in the third-place match.
Cameroon, meanwhile, finished second in Group B after an up-and-down group stage campaign. They edged debutants South Sudan 70–63 in their opener, but fell 75–49 to group leaders Mali in their next game.
The Cameroonians head into the playoff with a points differential of -19, having scored 119 points and conceded 138.
Angola, two-time AfroBasket champions, have struggled throughout the competition.
They ended the group stage winless, losing 70–54 to Egypt and 82–74 to hosts Ivory Coast.
Their defensive vulnerabilities are evident, having conceded 152 points with a points differential of -24.
The winner of the Angola vs Cameroon clash will face D’Tigress in the quarter-finals on Thursday, July 31, with a semi-final berth on the line.
Nigeria will enter the quarter-final tie as overwhelming favourites, with a place in the last four not only boosting their chances of winning a seventh continental title but also securing qualification for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament slated for early next year.