Imperious D’Tigress win fifth consecutive Afrobasket title

Nigeria’s senior female basketball team, D’Tigress have beaten arch rivals Mali 78-64 to win the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket Championship for the fifth consecutive time. After trailing 21-26 in the first quarter, the Rena Wakama girls stormed back with commanding performances in the remaining three quarters: 20-15, 20-15, and 17-8 for the convincing win in […]

Nigeria’s senior female basketball team, D’Tigress have beaten arch rivals Mali 78-64 to win the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket Championship for the fifth consecutive time.

After trailing 21-26 in the first quarter, the Rena Wakama girls stormed back with commanding performances in the remaining three quarters: 20-15, 20-15, and 17-8 for the convincing win in the tension soaked final played yesterday at the Palais des sports de Treichville in Abidjan.

Immediately after the match, the president of Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engineer Musa Kida, dedicated the resounding victory to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He credited the President’s leadership and the Renewed Hope agenda for revitalizing Nigerian sports.

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Superlative performances in Cote d’Ivoire

In their quest to set a new record, D’Tigress continued their stranglehold on African women’s basketball as they breezed through Group D, starting their campaign with a 92-45 rout of Rwanda before edging a tough 60-55 battle against Mozambique to finish top and earn direct passage to the quarterfinals.

In the quarters, they recorded a dominant 83–47 victory over Cameroon to set up the semi-final clash with another powerhouse Senegal whom they defeated 75-68 to reach the final against Mali.

The resounding victories in Cote d’Ivoire have extended D’Tigress’ unbeaten run in the AfroBasket to 28 games, a streak that stretches back to 2015.

 

How D’Tigress won five titles in a row

D’Tigress’ golden run began in 2003 when they clinched their first-ever Afrobasket title in Mozambique, defeating the host country in a landmark victory.

Two years later, they defended their crown in front of home fans in Abuja, winning the 2005 edition to establish Nigeria as a serious contender in the women’s game.

After a brief quiet spell, D’Tigress roared back in 2017 with a new generation of stars. Dominating the tournament in Mali without a single loss, they began what would become a historic run.

That momentum carried them through the 2019 edition in Senegal, where they silenced a packed Dakar Arena to lift their fourth title.

The victories kept coming – in 2021 (Cameroon) and 2023 (Rwanda) – as they stormed to back-to-back unbeaten campaigns, defeating continental giants like Senegal along the way.

With five consecutive titles won in emphatic manner, (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 25), D’Tigress have underscored their invincibility and an unprecedented achievement in African women’s basketball.