The D’Tigress are champions of the 2025 Afrobasketball tournament after a thrilling 78-64 victory over hard-fighting Mali in the final.
The champions made history by becoming the first team in Africa to win five consecutive Afrobasket titles. Mali came into the final after victory over Sudan while Nigeria dispatched eleven-time champions, Senegal in the semifinal.
The D’Tigress were behind 21-26 in the first quarter and produced a stunning comeback in the second quarter but Mali was not backing off and the second quarter ended 41-41.
The girls came out stronger in the third quarter which was a fierce battle, with Amy Okonkwo and Ezinne Kalu leading the charge for victory with 11 points apiece. The Nigerians held on to outscore the Malians by 61-56, setting a tone for what would be an interesting final quarter.
The D’Tigress returned for the final quarter and opened a 12 point lead but Mali reduced it to 10 and thereafter called for a timeout. Rena Wakama’s girls returned from the timeout and held on to win 78-64.
