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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By Ugo Okeiyi, Enugu
The end-of-year Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational Tournament, tagged “Championing the Youth Through Sports, Education and Opportunity,” has taken off and will be concluded on Friday. The three-day event is taking place at the Indoor Sports Multipurpose Gymnasium, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
The grassroots basketball competition is designed to serve as a platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian basketball talent.
A total of 14 teams — eight male and six female sides drawn from across the country — are competing for honours in what promises to be an exciting three-day basketball spectacle.
The tournament is powered by the Anthony Ozubuekwe Foundation, in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry for Youth and Sports Development and the Enugu State Basketball Association.
Organisers say fans should expect high-quality action, with displays of skill, athleticism and tactical awareness from some of the most promising young players in the country.
According to the organisers, the initiative is structured to positively engage young people, steering them away from social vices and criminal tendencies, while using sports as a tool for education, personal development and opportunity creation.
They added that the tournament will also give coaches and team officials a valuable opportunity to assess the mental readiness, discipline and competitive mindset of the players, while providing a conducive environment for athletes to interact, bond and learn from one another.
The competition will be played in a round-robin format, with attractive prize money on offer. In the men’s category, the champions will receive ₦2 million and a giant trophy, while the runners-up will earn ₦1.5 million.
In the women’s category, the winning team will go home with ₦1.5 million, while the second-placed team will receive ₦750,000.
With its blend of competition, youth empowerment and community development, the Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational is expected to be one of the standout grassroots sports events of the year in Enugu State.
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Former head coach of Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, Alex Nwora, will join family, friends and well-wishers on December 28, 2025, to celebrate the 90th birthday of his father, Chief Charles Okwudi Nworah, in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The milestone celebration, according to Evelyn Childs, Public Relations Officer of the US-based Imo Women Elite Club (IWEC), will take place at the expansive Onitsha compound of the nonagenarian, who is highly regarded in his community.
Born on April 17, 1936, to Akudo and Agnes Nwora of the Okakwu family in Ogbedogwu Village, Onitsha, Chief Nworah’s early years reflected strong family values rooted in education and public service. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School before moving on to Prince Commercial College, and later completed his secondary education at Baptist High School, Osogbo, in Osun State.
Chief Nworah began his career in the civil service at a young age with the Post and Telecommunications Service (P&T), where his father also served and retired as a senior manager. His professional journey continued seamlessly into Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) following the merger of P&T with the Nigerian External Telecommunications.
Alex Nwora, who led D’Tigers through notable periods of growth and international competition, is expected to play a central role in the celebration, which will bring together members of the extended Nwora family and the Onitsha community to honour the life and legacy of the elder statesman.
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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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