Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, fought hard to secure a 60-55 victory over Mozambique, advancing to the quarterfinals of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025 while maintaining their remarkable decade-long unbeaten run.
Speaking after the game, forward Amy Okonkwo acknowledged the challenge posed by Mozambique:
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“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.”
The matchup, a rematch of the 2023 encounter that ended 59–52 in Nigeria’s favor, lived up to its billing as one of African women’s basketball’s fiercest rivalries.
For much of the 40-minute contest, both teams traded blows, with Mozambique leading 28-24 at halftime and holding a narrow 43-42 advantage heading into the final quarter.
The turning point came in the last four minutes of the game when Nigeria stepped up defensively. Promise Amukamara nailed a crucial three-pointer to give Nigeria the lead, followed by decisive plays from 2019 MVP Ezinne Kalu, who scored a layup and converted a free throw.
Mozambique’s hopes dimmed as star forward Leia Dongue and physical center Carla Covane fouled out within minutes of each other, allowing Nigeria to capitalize and close out the game.
Kalu led the charge with 16 points and five steals, while Murjanatu Musa added a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. Nigeria also punished Mozambique’s 20 turnovers, converting them into 22 points.
Despite the loss, Mozambique showed resilience. Dongue, reflecting on the game, said:
“I have to congratulate my teammates. Nigeria is the reigning champion and the favorite in this tournament. They battled it out and represented our country very well. I am really proud of my team.”
With this win, Nigeria tops Group D with a perfect 2-0 record, extending their AfroBasket winning streak to 26 games, a run dating back to 2015.
