Mali secured a dominant 76–50 victory over debutants South Sudan in the semi-final of the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, setting up a championship showdown with Nigeria’s D’Tigress.
The game was played on Saturday night at the Palais des Sports de Treichville, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
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From the opening tip-off, Mali asserted their dominance, racing to a commanding 29–8 lead in the first quarter. By halftime, the West African side had stretched their advantage to 50–19, leaving South Sudan struggling to keep pace.
Sira Thienou and Delicia Washington led Mali’s scoring effort with 15 points each, while the team’s tight defensive structure held South Sudan to just 36% shooting from the field.
Despite a spirited fightback in the second half, where South Sudan outscored Mali 20–17 in the third quarter and 14–6 in the fourth—the early deficit proved insurmountable.
With this win, Mali advances to face defending champions Nigeria’s D’Tigress in Sunday’s final.
Nigeria booked their spot earlier with a hard-fought 75–68 victory over arch-rivals Senegal, marking their fifth consecutive AfroBasketball final appearance.
The reigning champions extended their AfroBasketball winning streak to 28 games, dating back to October 2015, when they defeated Angola in the third-place game in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Senegal’s star player, Cierra Dillard, led a strong challenge but costly turnovers and her eventual foul-out in the final moments sealed the loss.
South Sudan, making history with their first-ever semi-final appearance, will play Senegal in the third-place game as they continue their remarkable rise in African women’s basketball.
The 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket final is scheduled for Sunday, August 3, 2025, in Abidjan, where Nigeria will look to become the first team to win the title five consecutive times and extend their unbeaten run to 29 games in 10 years.
