Olympics: D’Tigress defeat Canada, becomes first African team to reach the last 8

A groundbreaking performance has come from the D’Tigress of Nigeria, as they become the first African basketball team (male or female) to qualify for the Olympics quarterfinal stage ongoing in Paris, France.

The team achieved the magnificent feat after defeating Canada on Sunday 70-79 in an intense game that saw Rena Wakma’s team roaring hard in the third quarter after slipping at halftime 41-37 to the fifth ranked team in the world.

D’Tigress started the third quarter like a house on fire, going on an 11-0 run to lead Canada by 9 points.

The act included Ezinne Kalu, Promise Amukamara, and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah.

Nicole Enabosi made a powerful outside shot to stretch Nigeria’s lead to 14 points, swinging the momentum to Team Nigeria leading 46-60 in the third quarter.

Rena Wakama’s team entered the competition as the lowest-ranked team, placing 12th, but is now on the cusp of history.

The team progressed from winning just one game in the past to winning two games in the group stage of the Olympics.

In 2023, 32-year-old Wakama became the first female head coach of D’Tigress and also the first Nigerian national female basketball team coach to win the African Championship since it began in 1966.

Yet again, in Paris, the young Nigerian coach wrote her name in the sands of time by becoming the first coach ever to qualify an African team for the quarterfinals of the Olympics.