Nigeria’s D’Tigress battled past a resilient Mozambique side to secure their place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIBA Africa Women’s AfroBasket Championship, maintaining their unbeaten run in the tournament.
The defending champions faced a stern test in one of the most highly anticipated clashes of the competition, with Mozambique showcasing their credentials as genuine title contenders in Abidjan.
It was a fiercely contested encounter, with both teams exchanging baskets throughout the 40 minutes, but Nigeria’s championship pedigree ultimately shone through as they edged out their opponents 60-55 to top Group D with a flawless 2-0 record.
The victory extended D’Tigress’ remarkable unbeaten streak in the Women’s AfroBasket to 26 games, a testament to their experience and relentless winning mentality. When the pressure was at its peak, Ezinne Kalu, the 2019 tournament MVP, rose to the occasion with a standout performance, pouring in a game-high 16 points and causing havoc defensively with five steals to stifle Mozambique’s charge.
Murjanatu Musa also delivered a crucial double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, providing the necessary support to ensure Nigeria’s hard-fought triumph. Mozambique’s 20 turnovers proved costly, with the reigning champions capitalising on those errors to score 22 points off turnovers, a decisive factor in the tightly contested matchup.
After the game, Amy Okonkwo acknowledged Mozambique’s spirited display, crediting them for pushing the titleholders to their limits in a thrilling encounter.
“Mozambique is a really good team. They’re well-coached, they ran their plays well, and they played beautifully together. It was a tough game, but we pulled it out and got the win. At first, they were playing harder than us, but we found our rhythm and started making defensive stops. I think that was the difference between us.”
Earlier yesterday, Uganda Gazelles became the first team to qualify for this year’s Women’s AfroBasket quarterfinals after a spectacular show against record champions Senegal, in a 73-70 overtime victory.
One of the most anticipated matchups at this year’s event, the clash, a revenge mission for Senegal who lost 85-83 to Uganda in in 2023 lived up to expectations with either side having moments of brilliance on the court.
The Senegalese, however, could not muster the point to exact revenge as Uganda finish top of Group C for a direct ticket to the Last Eight.
