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Mali defeated Nigeria 77–68 on Sunday to retain the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket 2026 title, handing Nigeria back-to-back final defeats to the same opponent.
Mali raced to a 17–2 lead in the opening three minutes, capitalising on a string of Nigerian turnovers, and carried that momentum into half-time with a 39–30 lead. Nigeria conceded 18 turnovers in the first half alone, allowing Mali to dominate possession and push the pace in transition.
Nigeria’s head coach was forced into an early change, substituting Favour Anari after she picked up early fouls. The introduction of Khadijah Alli and Oluwatobiloba Owolabi injected fresh energy, but it was not enough to halt Mali’s pressure in defence.
The third and fourth quarters were tightly contested, finishing 13–13 and 25–25 respectively, as Nigeria mounted a determined comeback. However, the damage from Mali’s fast start proved decisive, with the champions always able to restore their cushion whenever Nigeria closed the gap.
Mali captain Couda Keita was named MVP after a standout performance of 25 points, four rebounds and one assist for an efficiency rating of 20. She was well supported by Maimouna Traore (18 points), Suzane Dembele (11) and Assan Mariko (10). Speaking to FIBA.basketball, the Mali team said they had achieved their goal of retaining the title.
Nigeria’s Favour Anari top-scored for her side with 23 points, 10 rebounds and two assists for an efficiency rating of 26. “Not all the teams here got to the final. We will go back home and work harder to be a better side at the World Cup next year,” she said. Owolabi added 19 points, while Alli contributed 11.
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Nigeria head coach Peter Akindele commended his players’ fighting spirit. “It was a hard game, but the turnovers in the first quarter were what made the difference,” he said.
In the third-place play-off, Egypt beat Côte d’Ivoire 60–52 despite a game-high performance from Françoise Kaba, who finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals for an efficiency rating of 15.
Egypt set the tone early, building a 34–24 half-time lead. Côte d’Ivoire fought back with a 15–8 third quarter but still trailed 42–39 heading into the final period, where Egypt closed out the win 18–13.
Free-throw shooting proved costly for Côte d’Ivoire, who converted just eight of 32 attempts compared to Egypt’s 19 of 45.
Despite the win, Egypt made it clear that bronze was not their target. “Our intention was to win the title, but unfortunately that did not happen. The bronze is not what we deserve,” said Egypt’s Hania Hassabelnaby.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Françoise Kaba admitted her team was tired but determined to secure third place, pointing to poor free-throw shooting as a key factor in the loss. Her coach, Denaimou N’Garsanet, echoed that sentiment, noting that the team remains a work in progress but achieved more than expected, having entered the tournament without being tipped to reach the semi-finals. “We appreciate the support we got from the fans and the federation as well,” he said.
