AFCON 2025
Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress got their 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket campaign off to a winning start, edging Tunisia 54-50 in a tense Group C opener at the Salle Polyvalente in Treichville, Côte d’Ivoire, on Wednesday.
The result gives Akindele Peter’s side an early advantage in a group that also features Cameroon and Senegal, with all three sides jostling for two qualification spots from the pool.
Favour Joy Anari led the way with 14 points and 9 rebounds, Khadijah Alli added 9, and Bisola Orowolo chipped in 8. A total team effort to grind out the win.
It was also a measure of revenge for Nigeria, who had lost 65-64 to Tunisia in the semifinals of the 2008 FIBA Africa U18 Championship for Women, the last time both nations met at this level.
The Junior D’Tigress will need to back up the win quickly, with a clash against Cameroon looming on Friday, August 7, before they close out the group phase against Senegal on Sunday, August 9.
Nigeria arrived in Abidjan on the back of a perfect 4-0 run through the Zone 3 qualifiers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and will be targeting a first-ever U18 Women’s AfroBasket title after finishing runners-up on two previous occasions, most recently a 76-56 final defeat to Mali in South Africa in 2024.
The 2026 edition runs in Abidjan from August 5 to 16, with the top two finishers earning tickets to the 2027 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in China.
