Nigeria’s Junior D’Tigress have secured their spot at the 2027 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup. They achieved this after a tough 53-50 win over 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.
With this victory, Nigeria has reached the AfroBasket final for the second time in a row. They have also ended the impressive run of the Ivorian team in front of their home crowd.
Next, Nigeria will face defending champions Mali in the final on Sunday. This match will be a repeat of the 2024 final that took place in Pretoria.
The game was intense from the start, featuring 11 lead changes and seven ties. Both teams fought hard for a spot in the final and one of Africa’s two tickets to next year’s World Cup in China.
Nigeria had a slight edge at the beginning, winning the first quarter 12-11. They continued strong in the second quarter, taking it 15-12 and leading 27-23 by halftime.
But Côte d’Ivoire did not give up. They won the third quarter 16-14, narrowing Nigeria’s lead to just two points.
In the final quarter, the Junior D’Tigress showed their strength. They won the quarter 12-11, securing a three-point victory in the end.
Captain Favour Joy Anari led Nigeria with 15 points and four assists. Oluwatobiloba Owolabi contributed 11 points, making three three-pointers from four attempts.
Nimah Ibidunni was solid on the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds along with six points. Zainab Adelaja added six points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
For Côte d’Ivoire, Fatima Diouf scored 12 points, with three rebounds and three assists. Salimata Koné added nine points in the loss.
After the match, Côte d’Ivoire’s Jean Mary Diomande mentioned that missed free throws affected their chances to reach the final.
Owolabi praised Nigeria’s defence for the win. She said, "Yes, we started slowly and finished strongly. We wanted to win, and we did, thanks to our defence."
This win means Nigeria has now won three straight games in the tournament. They are returning to the final for the second consecutive time.
Mali made it to the final after a narrow 57-55 win over Egypt.
Nigeria knows Mali well as they lost to them 76-56 in the 2024 final. Mali is now aiming for their third straight AfroBasket title.
Nigeria will be looking for a different result this time. With their World Cup spot already secured, the Junior D’Tigress are ready for the challenge of reclaiming the African title from Mali.
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