Nigeria’s women senior Basketball team, D’Tigress head coach, Rena Wakama has said her players are firmly focused on the clash with Senegal.
Nigeria, and Senegal will clash in the semi-final of the ongoing 2025 Women’s AfroBasket on Saturday.
D’Tigress defeated Cameroon 83-47 in their quarter-final fixture at the Palais Des Sports de Treichville, Abidjan on Thursday night.
Senegal on the hand breezed past hosts Cote d’Ivoire 66-60 to book a spot in the last four.
Wakama is expecting a difficult test against Senegal but is optimistic his team will prevail.
“Credit to Cameroon because first half they refused to go away but my message in the half to the girl is that we must come out and be dominant and the girls responded in the third quarter,” Wakama said after the victory over Cameroon.
” On Saturday, it’s going to be a great game and it will definitely be emotional for some and that is basketball.But we know our mission here and we will not allow anything to change that, but as I said it is going to be an emotional game and very physical as well.”
Wakama’s side are unbeaten in their last 27 outings at the Women’s AfroBasket finals. Senegal will be desperate to put an end to the run.
D’ Tigress are looking to win a fifth consecutive title in Cote d’Ivoire, and are two games away from achieving their objective.
The four semi-finalists have all qualified for the qualifying tournament of the 2026 World Championship in Germany, while the winner of the Aftobasket will get an automatic ticket to the World Cup.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
