D’Tigress defeat Mali 78‑64 to claim record fifth straight Afrobasket title

Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, clinched their fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket championship on Sunday, defeating Mali 78‑64 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The final took place at the Palais des Sports de Treichville and marked Nigeria’s seventh overall title.

Mali stunned early by taking a 26‑21 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Nigeria responded in the second quarter to level the score at 41‑41 by half‑time. In the second half, D’Tigress pulled ahead with a strong third quarter and limited Mali to just eight points in the fourth, sealing the victory with a 14‑point margin.

Head coach Rena Wakama, appointed in 2023, made history as the first woman to lead a team to an AfroBasket championship in 2023 and now secured back‑to‑back titles.

Under her guidance, Nigeria maintained composure under pressure and leveraged depth to dominate the latter stages of the final.

This victory also extended D’Tigress’ unbeaten run in the AfroBasket competition to 29 games, a streak that began in October 2015.

They remain the first African team, male or female, to win five continental titles in a row from 2017 through 2025.

By reaching the final, Nigeria earned qualification for one of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments in Berlin next year.

Their semi-final and final victories reinforced their status as Africa’s dominant women’s basketball side, raising expectations for further success on a global stage.