Junior D’Tigress Shut Down Cameroon to Book AfroBasket Semi-Final Spot
Nigeria’s U18 women’s basketball team, the Junior D’Tigress, produced a stunning response against Cameroon on Wednesday, defeating their Central African rivals 75-45 to advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket in Abidjan.
The emphatic victory also provided a measure of revenge for Nigeria after Cameroon edged the Junior D’Tigress 75-74 in overtime during the group stage.
Coming shortly after the Super Falcons’ painful quarter-final elimination by Cameroon at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the result will provide Nigerian supporters with some consolation.
Nigeria dominated from the opening quarter, racing into a 20-8 lead before stepping up the pressure in the second period. The Junior D’Tigress outscored Cameroon 28-12 to establish a commanding 48-20 halftime advantage, effectively settling the contest before the interval.
Cameroon responded in the third quarter, winning the period 19-15, but Nigeria remained firmly in control. The Junior D’Tigress tightened their defence in the final quarter, restricting Cameroon to just six points while adding 12 to complete a comprehensive 30-point victory.
Cameroon had entered the quarter-final unbeaten after sweeping Group C, including victories over Senegal and Tunisia, as well as their overtime triumph over Nigeria. However, their earlier success counted for little as Nigeria executed a completely different defensive approach.
The Nigerian coaching staff built their game plan around denying Cameroon star Eveline Toyounon possession and limiting her influence. The strategy worked, with Toyounon restricted to eight points, although she finished with 11 rebounds and 14 assists.
Zainab Adelaja led Nigeria’s all-round performance with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Favour Anari contributed 16 points, two rebounds and three assists.
Nigeria head coach Peter Akindele credited the tactical changes for the turnaround after the group-stage defeat.
‘We did things differently this time,’ Akindele said.
