Liz Cambage Nigeria fight video: fresh footage emerges of ex-Opals star’s pre-Olympics scrimmage

Fresh footage of controversial star Liz Cambage’s verbal and physical attack on the Nigerian team has leaked - and the former Opal has since weighed in again on the ugly incident.

Liz Cambage is still claiming she is the victim, despite overwhelming evidence that she physically and verbally attacked members of the Nigerian team.

Cambage has taken to her social media to again deny any wrongdoing amid video footage of the scrimmage that highlights she was the instigator.

“The circulating video portrays a highly physical game with no officiating, resulting in me being attacked and suffering concussion,” Cambage said.

“Before the scrimmage, I had expressed concerns to Opals officials about the unacceptable playing conditions within the Covid ‘bubble’ they were imposing.”

However, two videos that were leaked to Twitter of the now infamous scrimmage in Las Vegas prove that Cambage sparked the entire incident.

The first video clearly shows the centre’s vicious elbow to the head of a Nigerian player – centre Victoria Macaulay - as revealed in this masthead’s exclusive investigation.

The deliberate elbow cut Macaulay open in the neck region.

Footage from the scrimmage between Australia and Nigeria.

As reported, after a time out Cambage returned to the game, much to the surprise of some Opals players given the agitated state of their star centre.

The tension escalated again seconds after the timeout when Cambage became entangled with another Nigerian player and hit her in the face. Cambage was subbed out of the game, but the drama wasn’t finished.

As Cambage walked to the bench, the aggrieved Nigerian player rushed over and king hit her with a closed fist.

The new footage confirms this masthead’s reporting.

The footage clearly shows the Nigerian player then approaches Cambage on the Australian bench and physically hits out at the Opals star with an open arm to the head region in retaliation.

Opals teammates can be seen rushing to Cambage’s side, holding her back in a bid to simmer the boiling tensions.

Cambage’s time with the national team is now over. Picture: Shae Beplate.

A furious Cambage then unloaded a verbal barrage at the Nigerians, however she maintains she didn’t racially abuse her rivals.

“Contrary to the false claims, I did not use racial slurs or refer to anyone as monkey, which is evident from the footage,” Cambage said.

However, there is no proof in the audio on the video that the ex-Opal didn’t use racial slurs towards the Nigerians.

It also comes despite multiple accounts from both teams that Cambage racially abused the Africans.

Two Nigerian players previously confirmed to this masthead they directly heard Cambage refer to them as “monkeys”.

“She did say, ‘Control your monkeys’ or something like that,” one player said. “The stuff she was saying was ridiculous.

She called us Monkeys & told us to go back to our country. Yes she said that!

— Promise Amukamara, OLY (@iPromisee) August 7, 2023

These insults have now been confirmed by two Nigerian players - Promise Amukamara and Sarah Ogoke.

“I’m sorry but this is false. Lol,” Amukamara tweeted in response to Cambage’s video interview with the Bleacher Report.

“She called us Monkeys and told us to go back to our country. Yes she said that.

“Literally everyone from both teams have the same story BUT her, so y’all do the math.”

Ogoke also confirmed Cambage’s foul-mouthed rant in the scrimmage before the Tokyo Olympics.

“You definitely spewed racist profanities against us during our scrimmage,” Ogoke said.

Cambage also claims she didn’t state she had officially joined the Nigerian team, however reports only suggested her attempts to join the team.

“I expressed my interest in joining the team and representing Nigeria,” she said.

“I had discussions with staff members about the necessary steps to become eligible.”

Liz Cambage has since revealed she wants to switch allegiences to play for Nigeria. Picture: Getty

It comes as Cambage is currently not eligible to play for Nigeria unless she has interest from the Nigerians, and receives approval from Basketball Australia.

However, BA officials have received no correspondence regarding a potential release.

Nigerian players have also taken to social media to say they don’t want to play with Cambage.

“We are not recruiting,” Ogoke said.

The vice-president of the Nigerian Basketball Federation – Babs Ogunade – denied Cambage was in talks to join the national team.

“Disregard the news,” Ogunade said.

“I don’t know who she is talking to. Not me and definitely not the president.”

Opals captain and close friend Jenna O’Hea had attempted to settle Cambage after she was hit by a Nigerian player as retaliation, saying: “Please, I know she just did that but”.

Cambage refuses to settle, though, responding with: “I’m just trying to f***ing play.

“We might as well start playing in the f***ing ghetto.

“I’m done, bro.”

Cambage then approaches her teammates and appears to have a crack at them for not defending her.

“I think I’m more offended at that – that’s embarrassing,” Cambage said.

O’Hea then pleads with Cambage again, saying: “Please, please stop.”

Originally published as Liz Cambage Nigeria fight video: fresh footage emerges of ex-Opals star’s pre-Olympics scrimmage