AFCON 2025
Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress fell just short of a maiden continental crown, losing 77-68 to Mali in the final of the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan on Sunday.
The defeat extended Mali’s dominance of the age-group tournament to a 10th title and handed Nigeria a third runners-up finish in the competition’s history, following losses in the 2010 and 2024 finals.
The result was a repeat of the 2024 championship match, in which Mali beat Nigeria 76-56 in Pretoria, South Africa, and the Malians once again proved too strong for their West African rivals when the title was on the line.
Mali arrived in Abidjan unbeaten through five games, while Nigeria had gone 4-1, with their only defeat coming in a heartbreaking 75-74 overtime loss to Cameroon in the group stage.
Favour Anari was Nigeria’s standout performer in the final, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and a steal while shooting an efficient 78 percent from the field for an evaluation index of 26, the best individual output on the night for the Junior D’Tigress.
Oluwatobiloba Owolabi also contributed significantly with 19 points and four rebounds, though her night was a study in contrasts, going 2-of-9 from beyond the arc and shooting just 29 percent from the field overall as her efficiency dipped compared to the semi-final display that helped sink Côte d’Ivoire.
Both teams had already secured their places at the 2027 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in China by reaching the final, but continental pride was firmly at stake on Sunday.
Mali captain Jean Mary Diomande had made her side’s intentions clear in the buildup, insisting they were determined to retain their crown and knew exactly what Nigeria would bring to the contest.
Coach Peter Akindele’s side had shown plenty of resolve throughout the tournament to reach the championship game, most notably in a 53-50 semi-final win over hosts Côte d’Ivoire that featured 11 lead changes.
Nimah Ibidunni and Zainab Adelaja also played key roles on the boards throughout the campaign, but the Junior D’Tigress could not sustain that momentum into the final against a battle-tested Malian outfit.
Ahead of the final, Owolabi had struck a defiant tone, saying the Junior D’Tigress were aware of Mali’s pedigree and their 2024 final defeat, but insisted it would not be easy for the Malians this time around.
Nigeria could not turn that defiance into a first title, however, as Mali held firm to seal their record-extending triumph, continuing a run in which they have now lifted seven of the last ten AfroBasket titles at this age group.
Despite the disappointment, Nigeria’s run to a second consecutive final continues a period of encouraging growth for the country’s basketball development pathway, following the senior D’Tigress’ recent AfroBasket success and World Cup qualification.
Both Nigeria and Mali now turn their attention to preparations for the 2027 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in China, where the continental rivals are set to renew their acquaintance on the global stage.
