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By Joe Apu
Reigning champions Nigeria kept their unbeaten streak alive at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket with a hard-fought 60–55 victory over familiar foes Mozambique on Sunday.
In what was one of their toughest tests in recent years, D’Tigress had to claw their way back from an early 14-point deficit after Mozambique stunned them with a blistering start, taking the first quarter 23–9.
However, the Nigerians, three-time defending champions, showed their championship pedigree by regrouping in the second quarter, which ended 15–15, before turning on the heat in the second half. Nigeria won the third and fourth quarters 18–15 and 18–12, respectively, sealing a gritty comeback and maintaining their unbeaten run in the tournament — now extended to 26 games since 2015.
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Veteran guard Ezinne Kalu led the scoring for Nigeria with 16 points and 4 assists, providing crucial baskets in key moments. But it was Murjanatu Musa who anchored both ends of the court, registering a game-high efficiency rating of 19. The center dominated the paint with 12 rebounds, 3 blocked shots, and 5 steals, playing a pivotal role in Nigeria’s defensive turnaround.
Mozambique, no strangers to D’Tigress in AfroBasket battles, pushed Nigeria to the brink with a strong all-round performance. Ingvild Mucauro matched Kalu with 16 points of her own and was instrumental in Mozambique’s early dominance.
The result keeps Nigeria firmly on course for a record-extending 11th AfroBasket Women’s title, while Mozambique will look to regroup heading into the next phase of the competition.
