Nigeria bow to Mali in the final

Nigeria’s junior D’Tigress fell short in the final of the 2024 FIBA U-18 Women’s Afrobasket, losing 76-56 to Mali in Pretoria, South Africa.

Mali dominated the game, securing a comfortable 20-point victory to claim the championship. Oummou Koumare, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), was instrumental in the win, posting an impressive 31 points, four rebounds, and five steals.

Despite the loss, Nigeria’s team showed resilience throughout the tournament. They overcame visa challenges to reach the final and earned a spot in the 2024 FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup.

After a slow start, they rebounded with a commanding 107-30 win over Zimbabwe in their second group game.

While they faced a setback in their third game, losing 80-64 to Uganda, the junior D’Tigress advanced to the knockout stages, defeating Egypt 66-51 in the semifinals and later edging out Uganda 71-67 in a hard-fought semifinal battle.

Although the final didn’t go in their favour, the team can look forward to representing Nigeria on the global stage at the upcoming U-19 Women’s World Cup.