D’Tigress battle Senegal in Afrobasket semi-final in Abidjan

Nigeria’s D’Tigress continue their quest for a fifth consecutive FIBA Afrobasket championship as they face Senegal today in a high-stakes semi-final clash in Abidjan.

The two teams will go head-to-head in one of the two semi-final fixtures of this year’s tournament, now down to the final four. Today’s encounter adds another chapter to the fierce rivalry between these African basketball powerhouses.

Senegal remains the most successful women’s basketball team on the continent with 11 titles. However, Nigeria’s D’Tigress have been the dominant force over the past decade, winning the last four editions of the tournament since 2017. The Nigerian team has six Afrobasket trophies in total and is aiming for a seventh title — and a record fifth in a row — in Abidjan.

Today’s game is expected to be a showcase of the quality and growth of women’s basketball in Africa, with global attention focused on the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan at 7 p.m. Nigerian time.

D’Tigress remain unbeaten on the continent since 2015 and are currently on a 27-game winning streak. They have also won all three of their matches so far in this year’s competition. In contrast, Senegal’s journey to the semi-finals has been less smooth. They suffered a surprising loss to Uganda in the group stage but recovered to defeat Rwanda in the playoffs and then knocked out hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the quarter-finals.

Nigeria’s D’Tigress have won their last seven meetings with Senegal since 2015, underlining their dominance in the regional rivalry.

The two teams last met in the final of the previous edition held in Rwanda, where Nigeria triumphed 84–74. Their most recent encounter was in February 2024 in Antwerp, Belgium.