Cameroon Beat Angola To Set Up Quarterfinal Battle With D’Tigress

Cameroon Beat Angola To Set Up Quarterfinal Battle With D’Tigress 

By Niyi Busari 

Nigeria’s D’Tigress will resume their quest for a historic fifth consecutive title at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket when they face regional rivals Cameroon in the quarterfinals on Thursday night. 

Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Cameroon advanced to the last eight following a dominant 85–64 victory over Angola in Wednesday’s qualification game, setting up a mouthwatering clash with the defending champions.

Nigeria, who enjoyed an extra day of rest after finishing top of their group, head into the tie as favorites but will be wary of the challenge posed by the Central African side. Cameroon remains the last team to defeat Nigeria at the Afrobasket, having edged them 71–70 in the 2015 semifinals on home soil in Yaoundé.

Since that narrow loss, D’Tigress have embarked on a remarkable unbeaten run, winning four consecutive Afrobasket titles (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023) and solidifying their status as the continent’s dominant force in women’s basketball. A win on Thursday would keep Nigeria on track to become the first nation—male or female—to win five straight Afrobasket crowns.

To maintain their title defense, D’Tigress must find answers to Cameroon’s explosive backcourt pair of Jessica Thomas and Joelly Emmanuelle Claude Belleka, who are averaging 16 and 15 points per game, respectively. The duo has been instrumental in Cameroon’s fast-paced offense and will test Nigeria’s defensive discipline.

In other quarterfinal fixtures, unbeaten Uganda will open the day’s schedule against tournament debutants South Sudan, who have impressed many with their resilient performances. Mali and Mozambique will square off in the second quarterfinal, while hosts Ivory Coast will face perennial contenders Senegal in what promises to be a thrilling matchup buoyed by a passionate home crowd.