Nigeria’s Basketball WNT, D’Tigress secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympic Games after a remarkable 79-70 victory over Canada, ranked fifth in the world.

This victory marks a historic achievement for D’Tigress, as they advance to the last eight of the Olympics for the first time.

Entering the tournament as the lowest-ranked team, placed 12th in the power rankings, the Nigerians have defied expectations by defeating the third-ranked Australian team and now the fifth-ranked Canadian team, with their only loss coming against seventh-ranked France.

The game saw D’Tigress initially trailing by four points at halftime after surrendering an early lead.

However, they roared back in the third quarter, launching an 11-0 run to take a nine-point lead.

Key contributions came from Ezinne Kalu, Promise Amukamara, and Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah, while Amy Okonkwo’s return to the court added a boost.

The third quarter ended strongly for Nigeria, with Nicole Enabosi sinking a crucial outside shot to extend their lead to 14 points, closing the period at 60-46.

D’Tigress maintained their momentum into the fourth quarter, ultimately sealing the win and their historic quarterfinal spot.