Abuja: Nigeria overcame a resilient Mali in the final game of the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket in Abidjan to become the first team to win the tournament five times in a row. With this triumph, Nigeria extended their winning streak to 29-0, dating back to the third-place game of the 2015 tournament in Yaound©, Cameroon.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nigeria had a slow start, as was the case for most of their initial games in the tournament. However, feeling threatened by Mali’s intensity, Rena Wakama’s team regrouped in the second quarter and headed to the locker room tied at 41-41.
With the score tied, Wakama’s team emerged in the third quarter with renewed focus and energy, taking a 61-56 lead by capitalizing on Mali’s turnovers. Despite Mali’s effort in the final quarter to mount a comeback, Nigeria maintained their composure and held on to their lead.
They continued to play with confidence, answering every Malian basket with one of their own. The final buzzer sounded with Nigeria winning 78-64, making them the sole nation to win more consecutive Women’s AfroBasket titles than any other nation.
