Izuchukwu Okosi
Nigeria’s D’Tigress on Saturday evening beat Senegal 83-74 in the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Final at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda to win the tournament for the fourth consecutive time.
D’Tigress reached the final after defeating hosts Rwanda in the semifinal to set up the clash against Senegal who overcame Mali in the second semifinals match.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe Nigerian girls were formidable for the impressive Senegal side to contend with as they claimed a sixth overall title on the continent.
D’Tigress led by coach Rena Wakama were winners in 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, and 2021, establishing them as one of the most decorated teams in the tournament’s history.
By beating all comers in the tournament, Nigeria etched another milestone by becoming the first team to have a female coach lead them to victory in the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket.
The tournament was a memorable and historic one for Nigeria adding to the rich tapestry of women’s basketball in Africa despite the challenges that the team enroute to their trip to Kigali, Rwanda.
There were some high profile withdrawals from the Nigerian team as the Ogwumike sisters, Chiney and Nneka – and a few other notable stars – expressed dismay over the administration of the sport in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) could reach out to the players who pulled out of the tournament after the latest success.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
