Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress ended Côte d’Ivoire’s unbeaten run at the FIBA U-18 Afrobasket on Friday night with a narrow 53-50 victory, securing a place in Sunday’s final against Mali and one of Africa’s two tickets to the 2027 FIBA U-19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in China.
The contest featured 11 lead changes and seven ties. Nigeria took the first quarter 12-11, the second 15-12, and went into halftime leading 27-23. Côte d’Ivoire fought back to win the third quarter 16-14, but Nigeria edged the fourth quarter 12-11 to seal the win.
Captain Favour Anari contributed 15 points, two rebounds, and four assists with an efficiency rating of 11. Zainab Adelaja was Nigeria’s most effective player with a rating of 14, while Nimah Ibidunni scored six points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
For Côte d’Ivoire, Fatima Diouf led the scoring with 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Salimata Koné posted an efficiency rating of 12 and added nine points.
Oluwatobiloba Owolabi, who scored 11 points, credited Nigeria’s defensive effort. She said: “Yes, we started slowly and finished strongly. We wanted to win, and we did, thanks to our defence.”
Nigeria lost to Mali 76-56 in the 2024 FIBA U-18 Afrobasket final held in South Africa.
Sunday’s final will be a clash of contrasting ambitions. Mali are chasing a record-extending 10th continental title, while Nigeria seek their first ever championship after losing the 2010 and 2024 finals.