The national men’s basketball team,D’Tigers have zoomed into the quarter final of the ongoing 2025 Afrobasket Championship in Angola with a class perfromance against Cameroon.
The team on Sunday despatched the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 101-92 to book their slot in the last eight of the championship.
Nigeria won the 1st quarter 28-27,the 2nd quarter 32-16, and maintained the lead in 3rd quarter with 26-12, but Cameroon rallied to win the 4th quarter 37-15.
A relentless offensive display in the second third quarter pushed the scoreline to 84–53, opening a 31-point lead that effectively killed off the contest.
Cameroon however staged a late rally in the fourth quarter, but Nigeria had already secured the win and used the period to rotate and rest key players and wrapped proceedings at 101-92.
Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie led the way with 16 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. Stan Okoye contributed 15 points, while Caleb Agada had 13 points to his name.
The Cameroonians how had more points individually with Fabien Ateba 19 points; Oluwe Misi 18 points and Jeremiah Hill scored 16 points.
Nigeria zoomed straight into the quarterfinals leading group B with accumulative 6 points from 265 -217 baskets on a difference of +48; Cameroon came 2nd with accumulative points of 5 points from 258-243 baskets on a difference of +15; Tunisia was 3rd with a cumulative 4 points from 212-233 baskets on a difference of -21 while Madagascar was ousted with a cumulative 3 points from 196-238 baskets on a difference of -42.
Nigeria’s D’Tigers had defeated Madagascar 77-59 in the first game and beaten Tunisia 87-66 in the second game.
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon outplayed defending champions Tunisia in the first game of the group before beating Madagascar 80-77 in the second game.
Nigeria and Cameroon had met thrice at FIBA Afrobasket games,first on 13th August 2009 with Nigeria losing 80-84 to Cameroon at the quarterfinals; on 25th August, 2013 at the preliminary round, Nigeria prevailed 91-84 points while on 14th September 2017 also at the quarterfinal, Nigeria won 106 -91 baskets.
D’Tigers of Nigeria coached by Mohammed Abdurrahman is ranked 42 in the world. Nigeria made 19 appearances at Afro basketball final tournament winning it once in 2015. She got Silver medal 4 times in 1997, 1999, 2003 and 2017 while bagging the Bronze 3 times in 1995, 2005 and 2011.
She has appeared eight times at the African Games winning Gold in 2011 and Bronze 5 times in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015. She was 4th at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and had been to the Olympic Games 3 times and FIBA world cup 3 times without a medal.
Nigeria is the only African team to have beaten the mighty USA team to qualify for the Summer Olympics in 2012 where she beat elite teams like Lithuania and Greece.
Cameroon ranked 63 in the world and coached by 40 year old 6ft 9ins tall Alfred Aboya has never been to the FIBA world cup neither has she been to the Olympics but have made 10 appearances at Afro final tournaments without winning the title.
Cameroon have reached the quarterfinals three times in 2011, 2013 and 2017 but had won silver once in 2007 and placed 4th twice in 1972 and 2009.
Earlier on Sunday evening, Tunisian won their first match beating Madagascar 81-60 points in same group B game.Tunisia won the 1st quarter 16-12; lost the 2nd quarter 15-20; won the 3rd quarter 19-10 with another massive 4th quarter win of 31-18.
Nigeria will meet the winner of the Senegal vs South Sudan playoff in the quarterfinals on 18th August; Egypt will play the winner of the playoff match between Cameroon and 3rd placed team in group A in the quarterfinals while hosts Angola will meet the winner of the Tunisia vs runners up in group A also in the quarterfinals. All playoff matches are scheduled for 18th August.
The quarterfinal matches will be played on 20th and 21st August; the semifinals will be decided on 23rd August; the battle for Bronze is on 24th August at 4pm while the grand finale in Luanda, Angola is same 24th August at 7pm.
