The U-18 women’s Nigeria basketball team have lost the AfroBasket final to Mali following a 77-68 defeat in the final of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The victory means Mali have won the continental championship for the third consecutive edition, completing a second three-peat in the history of the competition.
Couda Keita was the standout player in the final, finishing with a game-high 25 points to lead Mali to another title. Her performance came at a crucial moment as Nigeria pushed the defending champions harder than they did in the previous final.
Mali had beaten Nigeria 76-56 in the 2024 final, but the Nigerians returned this time determined to make the contest much closer.
Maimouna Traoré led Nigeria’s scoring with 18 points, but Mali stayed in control and eventually secured the nine-point victory.
The result extends Mali’s impressive run at the U18 Women’s AfroBasket. They first completed a three-peat by winning the 2014, 2016 and 2018 editions.
Egypt interrupted that run by winning the 2020 tournament on home soil, but Mali returned to the top in 2022. They then retained the title in 2024 before completing another three consecutive championships with their victory in Abidjan.
Mali also finished the 2026 tournament unbeaten, winning all six of their games on their way to the trophy.
For Nigeria, the defeat means another silver medal after reaching the final for the second consecutive edition. But their improved performance against Mali showed a much closer contest than the 2024 final.
