Nigeria’s junior women’s basketball team, the Junior D’Tigress, suffered a 76-56 defeat to Mali in the final of the 2024 FIBA U-18 Women’s Afrobasket Championship, held in Pretoria, South Africa.
Mali dominated the game, securing a comfortable 20-point victory. Oummou Koumare, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), led Mali’s charge with an outstanding performance, scoring 31 points, grabbing four rebounds, and making five steals.
Despite facing numerous challenges, including visa issues before the tournament, Nigeria showed resilience. After a slow start, they rebounded with a commanding 107-30 victory over Zimbabwe in their second group game. Although they lost to Uganda 64-80 in their third group match, they advanced to the knockout stages.
In the quarterfinals, the Junior D’Tigress defeated Egypt 66-51 to book a spot in the semifinals, where they edged past Uganda in a tight 71-67 win.
While the final result was a disappointment, Nigeria’s junior team can take pride in qualifying for the 2025 FIBA U-19 Women’s World Cup, where they will have another opportunity to showcase their talent on the global stage.
