Basketball
AfroBasket Semifinal Showdowns: Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and South Sudan Battle for Championship Glory
The race for the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket crown hits its most intense phase this Saturday as the tournament’s final four—Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and debutants South Sudan—clash in the semifinals with championship dreams, national pride, and regional bragging rights on the line.
With qualification already secured for next year’s 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, the focus now shifts to continental supremacy as two heavyweight duels take centre stage in Abidjan.
Senegal vs. Nigeria – 19:00 GMT
“The Final Before the Final”
The latest instalment of one of Africa’s fiercest rivalries headlines the semifinals, as defending champions Nigeria’s D’Tigresses face 11-time winners Senegal in what promises to be another classic encounter.
Having won nine of their 14 AfroBasket meetings, Nigeria enter the clash with a historical and psychological edge.
Senegal’s last victory over Nigeria came back in 2011, when they won both their Group Phase and semifinal matchups. Since then, it’s been a decade of D’Tigresses dominance.
Their most recent duel came at the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgium, where Nigeria triumphed 72–65.
A year earlier, Nigeria secured their fourth straight AfroBasket title with an 84–74 win over the Senegalese in the 2023 final.
Now coached by Rena Wakama, the Nigerians are chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive title—a feat no African team has achieved.
Meanwhile, Senegal are gunning for a record-extending 12th championship, and their first since 2015.
Statistically, Nigeria holds a slight edge. They average 78.3 points per game compared to Senegal’s 77, and have been more efficient from the field (44.7% FG to Senegal’s 39%).
From beyond the arc, D’Tigresses also led, shooting 26% versus Senegal’s 20.7%.
However, Senegal has the upper hand in rebounding (48.3 rpg to Nigeria’s 44.3), and both sides are nearly matched in assists, making this a tightly poised battle.
Senegal, who were stretched by Côte d’Ivoire in the quarterfinals, must see stronger performances from their starting five if they hope to end Nigeria’s reign.
Mali vs. South Sudan – 22:00 GMT
Can the Bright Starlets Shine Again?
Mali faces surprise package South Sudan in the second semifinal—an encounter that promises fireworks following their narrow 55–53 Group B thriller earlier in the tournament.
Mali, the 2021 runners-up, have played like title contenders ever since that close opening win over South Sudan. They cruised past Cameroon in the quarterfinals (75–49) and dispatched Mozambique (86–68) to underline their title credentials.
Led by WNBA standout Sika Koné, Mali brings both experience and balance to the table, averaging 72 points per game, with a tournament-best 21.7 assists per outing. They also boast a solid shooting efficiency (41.3%) and average 46.7 rebounds per game.
But South Sudan are the story of the tournament.
Under coach Alberto Antuna, the debutants have defied expectations, coming from two opening losses to upset Egypt (75–65) and edge Uganda (69–68) in a gripping quarterfinal. Anchored by the energetic Maria Teresa Gakdeng (team-high efficiency rating of 18.8), the Bright Starlets top the rebounding charts with 51 boards per game—evidence of their grit and hustle.
Though statistically behind Mali in most categories, South Sudan’s athleticism, momentum, and belief make them dangerous opponents capable of springing another surprise.
Road to the Final
The winners of Saturday’s semifinals will battle for the AfroBasket title in the final on Sunday, August 4. The losers will meet in the third-place playoff earlier that day.
With powerhouse clashes and a Cinderella story still unfolding, the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket is set for a dramatic climax, celebrating the best of African women’s basketball.
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours on all members of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, in recognition of their historic victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Each member of the team was decorated with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) title at a special reception held on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Representing the president at the event was Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced a series of generous rewards for the champions.
In addition to the national honours, each player will receive $100,000, while each member of the technical crew will be given $50,000. The government also pledged a flat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to every player and official on the squad.
The rewards follow D’Tigress’s emphatic 78-64 win over Mali in Sunday’s AfroBasket final, played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan. The victory marked Nigeria’s fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, a feat unmatched in the tournament’s history. With the triumph, D’Tigress also secured an automatic berth to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
President Tinubu, in his remarks delivered by Vice President Shettima, hailed the team’s resilience, determination, and consistency, describing their dominance on the continental stage as a symbol of national pride and inspiration to the youth.
Present at the reception were First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, Garba Maidoki, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youths and Sports Development, and Kabiru Amadou, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports.
The honours and incentives underscore the government’s renewed commitment to recognising excellence in sports and motivating future champions.
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Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, on their triumphant outing at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, describing the victory as a testament to the nation’s indomitable spirit and sporting excellence.
In line with what the women’s football team, Super Falcons, experienced barely a week ago, another dollar rainfall could be in the offing for the basketball team.
In a statement released Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu praised the Coach Rena Wakama-led side for their “skill, resilience, determination, and teamwork,” which powered them to a 78–64 victory over Mali in Sunday night’s pulsating final at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
With this win, Nigeria extended their dominance in African women’s basketball, securing their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title and seventh overall, further solidifying their status as the continent’s most successful women’s team.
The President, who had earlier dispatched a nine-man presidential delegation to Abidjan to support the team in the final, commended the players for rising to the occasion despite a slow start that saw them lose the first quarter to a determined Malian side.
“Your superb performance throughout the competition has made Nigeria proud. Like the Super Falcons, you have inspired our young ladies. You embodied the indomitable Nigerian spirit, the power of unity, and the rewards of hard work,” President Tinubu said.
He added that D’Tigress’ sustained excellence had “written their names in history” and served as a beacon of what Africa can offer on the global sporting stage.
The President also praised Head Coach Rena Wakama and her technical crew for their outstanding leadership, and commended the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) for their steadfast support to the team.
In an apparent nod to the recent cash rewards showered on the Super Falcons, there is strong speculation that a similar financial windfall may await D’Tigress on their return to Nigeria.
“The Federal Government and Nigerians will never forget the sacrifices and remain grateful for the highly elevating performances,” Tinubu stated, assuring the team of continued support as they prepare for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournaments next March.
President Tinubu concluded his message by expressing eagerness to personally receive the victorious team and their trophy in Abuja and wished them a safe trip back home.
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South Sudan’s Bright Starlets are the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket bronze medallist.
The debutants who made the competition on a wild card, stunned 11-time champions Senegal 66-65 in the Third-Place Game on Sunday, August 3 to clinch their first ever medal in the continental showpiece.
Their win over Senegal, who were looking to end a decade-long wait for gold, makes it the third time the West Africans have missed out on the podium in 26 editions. They missed in the inaugural edition in 1966 and in 2021 in Cameroon, finishing fourth on both occasions.
Senegal had a start to forget, scoring a single point in the opening seven minutes, finishing the period trailing 26-10. An 18-9 show in the second stanza got their comeback efforts going.
South Sudan still had a 10-point lead with 4 minutes and 41 seconds to play in the third, but Victorine Thiaw contributed seven in a 10-0 run for the Senegalese, to level the score at 44 and it was game on.
Khadija Faye handed Senegal their first short-lived lead at 46-45, but they trailed 50-48 heading to the final quarter.
Lena Timera gave the 11-time champions their biggest lead yet with a step back jump shot from deep for 58-54 but the debutants refused to budge.
A dramatic final minute saw Thiaw and Faye miss four crucial points from the charity stripe with the score tied at 65. Cierra Dillard’s foul with 6 seconds left gave Nyamer Lual Diew the chance to win it for South Sudan, converting one for the massive victory.
HERO
Maria Teresa Gakdeng, on debut for the Bright Starlets, has continued to prove a formidable addition for the East Africans, and she demonstrated that yet again with a huge performance.
She came two blocks shy of a triple-double after shooting for 14, the team’s second highest, while grabbing 13 rebounds and added three assists to finish with an efficiency rating of 26.
Skipper Adut Bulgak scored 14 as well, while leading the side on defense with 11 of her 13 rebounds. Delicia Washington was the side’s top scorer with 22, coming two assists off a double-double and adding 5 rebounds.
The trio will, however, have Diew to thank for the victory in regulation time, as a miss would probably have send the match to overtime.
STATS DON’T LIE
Despite allowing Senegal to score 30 from their 29 turnovers, and missing 14 of their 32 chances from the charity stripe, South Sudan kept themselves in the game with a better show on field goals where they converted 45.8% of their chances against Senegal’s 38.3%.
They out rebounded Senegal 44-26, 29-17 on defense to deny the 2023 silver medalist any second chance scoring opportunities.
BOTTOM LINE
South Sudan have left an indelible mark on debut, reaching the podium in a historic run that saw them come from two losses in the Group Phase to beat Egypt, Uganda and Senegal for the very first time and become the first debutant to be on the podium.
The West Africans, meanwhile, will have some reflections as they are yet to reclaim their dominance of yesteryears. This is the second time since their last title in 2015 that they are missing out on the podium.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Wins happen, losses happen, you can’t win them all. What really matters in sports is how you regroup the next day. You have to have a short memory in this field.
Speaking to our resilience as a team and the mental toughness that took to overcome what happened yesterday [semifinal loss against Mali] and throughout this tournament… This is our first run in AfroBasket and our team deserves to be here.
“The girls have shown it this time around, especially of how young they are. I am looking forward to what the future has for us.” South Sudan power forward Adut Bulgak.
FIBA
Final Standing of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket
1. Nigeria 2. Mali 3. South Sudan 4. Senegal 5. Cameroon 6. Mozambique 7. Cote d’Ivoire 8. Uganda 9. Egypt 10. Angola 11. Rwanda 12. Guinea
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