Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress have secured their spot at the 2027 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. They achieved this after a hard-fought 53-50 victory against Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-final on Friday. This match was part of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket taking place in Abidjan.
This win also takes Nigeria to the AfroBasket final for the second time in a row. It also ended Côte d’Ivoire’s strong performance in front of their home crowd. Nigeria will now face defending champions Mali in the final on Sunday. This match is a repeat of the final that took place in Pretoria in 2024.
The game was tense from the beginning, with 11 lead changes and seven ties. Both teams fought hard for a spot in the final and for one of Africa’s two spots at next year’s World Cup in China. Nigeria started off slightly better, winning the first quarter 12-11. They followed that up by taking the second quarter 15-12, ending the first half with a lead of 27-23.
After halftime, Côte d’Ivoire came back strong. They won the third quarter 16-14, reducing Nigeria’s lead to just two points. However, the Junior D’Tigress held their ground in the final quarter. They finished strong, winning that period 12-11 to secure the three-point win.
Captain Favour Joy Anari led Nigeria with 15 points and four assists. Oluwatobiloba Owolabi contributed 11 points, hitting three three-pointers out of four attempts. Nimah Ibidunni was a force on the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds and scoring six points. Zainab Adelaja added six points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
For Côte d’Ivoire, Fatima Diouf was the top scorer with 12 points, alongside three rebounds and three assists. Salimata Koné added nine points to the team's effort. After the game, Côte d’Ivoire’s Jean Mary Diomande pointed out that missed free throws cost them a chance to reach the final.
Owolabi praised Nigeria’s defence for the victory. She said, “Yes, we started slowly and finished strongly. We wanted to win, and we did, thanks to our defence.” This win marks Nigeria's third straight victory in the tournament, sending them to the final for the second consecutive time.
Mali reached the final after a close 57-55 win over Egypt. The Mali team is a familiar opponent for Nigeria. They defeated the Junior D’Tigress 76-56 in the 2024 final and are now looking for their third straight AfroBasket title.
Nigeria will be aiming for a different result this time. With their World Cup ticket already secured, the Junior D’Tigress are excited for another chance to reclaim the African title from Mali.
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