By Joe Apu
Reigning champions Nigeria cemented their dominance in African women’s basketball by clinching a record-breaking fifth straight FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title on Saturday night, defeating arch-rivals Mali 78-64 in a thrilling final.
The victory, secured at the Palais des Sports in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, marks Nigeria’s unprecedented fifth consecutive AfroBasket crown, reinforcing their status as the continent’s basketball powerhouse.
Despite a strong start by Mali—who took the first quarter 26-21—Nigeria mounted a spirited comeback under the leadership of head coach Rena Wakama, the only female coach at the tournament. The defending champions levelled the game in the second quarter (20-15), then asserted their superiority in the second half, outscoring Mali 20-15 in the third quarter and closing out the final period with a dominant 17-8 performance.
Ezinne Kalu, once again pivotal to Nigeria’s success, led all scorers with 20 points. Amy Okonkwo also played a key role, posting an efficiency rating of 21 to power Nigeria’s title defense.
Since 2017, Mali has consistently fallen short against Nigeria in AfroBasket competitions, and Saturday’s final was no different. Despite the best efforts of celebrated forward Sika Koné, Mali could not hold off a relentless Nigerian side.
With this triumph, Coach Wakama secures her second consecutive title at the helm, adding to her growing legacy and further inspiring the next generation of female basketball coaches across Africa.
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