BREAKING: Like Falcons, D’Tigress Eye ₦150m Tinubu Reward After Defeating Mali To Clinch Historic 5th Consecutive AfroBasket Title

BREAKING: Like Falcons, D’Tigress Eye ₦150m Tinubu Reward After Defeating Mali To Clinch Historic 5th Consecutive AfroBasket Title

 

Naijaonpoint Nigeria reports that D’TIGRESS of Nigeria have set a new record by winning their fifth FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title in a row.

The history makers defeated Mali 78-64 in the 2025 AfroBasket final in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire tonight to become the first team ever to win five straight editions of Africa’s top women’s basketball competition.

The victory takes them past Senegal, who won the Women’s AfroBasket title four times consecutively between 1974 and 1981.

D’Tigress had to overcome a resilient Mali, and the victory was one of the champions’ toughest of the tournament.

With this win, D’Tigress extended their winning streak to 29-0, dating back to the third-place game of the 2015 tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

As was the case for most of their initial games in the tournament, D’Tigress got off to a slow start.

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.

Ezinne Kalu (20 points) and Amy Okonkwo (19) combined for half of Nigeria’s total points, with Victoria Macaulay contributing 10.

The trio have been D’Tigress best players in Cote d’Ivoire, consistently producing since the beginning of the tournament.

D’Tigress have now clinched the trophy in Mali in 2017, Senegal in 2019, Cameroon in 2021, Rwanda in 2023 and now Cote d’Ivoire in 2025.

 

THe Genius Media Nigeria gathered that Beyond the trophy, attention is also focused on President Bola Tinubu, as players and fans alike anticipate a presidential reward similar to the one recently given to the Super Falcons after their Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2025 triumph in Morocco.

The Falcons were handsomely rewarded with $100,000 (approximately ₦150 million) each, while members of the technical crew received $50,000. The team was also conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and awarded three-bedroom apartments under the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme.

However, the generous gesture sparked widespread debate across the country, with some Nigerians questioning the timing and scale of the rewards amid economic challenges. Others hailed the recognition as long-overdue appreciation for women in sports.

Before the final match, D’Tigress took to social media with a playful message that captured the mood in camp.

Posting a dancing meme, the team’s official X (formerly Twitter) account cheekily wrote: “One more to go @afrobasketwomen Practicing $100k dance for @officialABAT”