Kida Storms Abidjan As D’Tigress Chase Record 27th Straight AfroBasket Win

In a move that underscores his unwavering commitment to Nigerian basketball, Engineer Ahmed Musa Kida, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) and Chairman of NNPC Plc, is set to arrive in Abidjan to lend his support to D’Tigress ahead of their crucial quarter-final clash against Cameroon at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket.

At 10 p.m. Nigeria time tonight, the Palais des Sports de Treichville is expected to roar as Africa’s reigning queens, D’Tigress, take the court in pursuit of their 27th consecutive AfroBasket victory, one that would bring them a step closer to an unprecedented fifth straight continental crown.

For the past eight years, Musa Kida has been more than a federation president, he has been the engine behind Nigerian basketball’s transformation. From personally funding international campaigns to standing courtside during critical games, his leadership has been central to the team’s meteoric rise.

Under Kida’s stewardship, Nigeria shocked the world by defeating Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the first African team to reach the quarterfinals of the women’s basketball tournament at the Games.

He has overseen an unbroken run of four AfroBasket titles (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023), each one anchored in strategic planning, talent development, and a deep belief in the team’s potential.

Tonight, he returns to the frontlines, not just as a dignitary, but as a believer.

D’Tigress punched their ticket to the quarter-finals in emphatic fashion, thrashing Rwanda 92–45 in their tournament opener before edging Mozambique 60–55 in a gritty encounter.

Now, they prepare to face a familiar rival, Cameroon, the last team to defeat Nigeria at the AfroBasket, back in 2015 by a single point. Since that loss, D’Tigress have gone unbeaten, rewriting the narrative of African women’s basketball with 26 straight wins.

A win tonight would secure a semi-final showdown against either Senegal or Côte d’Ivoire and bring Nigeria within touching distance of a record fifth consecutive AfroBasket title and qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.