D’Tigress AfroBasket titles: Nigeria’s record seven crowns

Last updated: 6 October 2026.

D’Tigress have won seven AfroBasket titles and have never lost a Women’s AfroBasket final. Their 2025 triumph was a fifth straight continental crown, something no team had managed before. Nigeria’s men, D’Tigers, have one continental title, from 2015, but they also have something no other African team has: a win over the United States. This guide covers both teams’ AfroBasket records, their Olympic and World Cup milestones, and where they stand in October 2026. Results come from FIBA, Olympics.com and ESPN.

The short answer

• D’Tigress AfroBasket titles: seven, in 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025.
• Record streak: five titles in a row from 2017 to 2025. FIBA says no team had done that before.
• Latest final: Nigeria beat Mali 78–64 in Abidjan on 3 August 2025, under coach Rena Wakama.
• D’Tigers AfroBasket titles: one, in 2015, when they beat Angola 74–65 in the final in Tunisia.
• Olympic first: at Paris 2024, D’Tigress became the first African basketball team, men’s or women’s, to reach an Olympic quarter-final.

D’Tigress: seven continental crowns

Nigeria’s women first won the African title in 2003 and retained it in 2005. After a 12-year gap they began a run that has not been broken since.

• 2003 (Mozambique): beat the hosts 69–63
• 2005 (Nigeria): beat Senegal 64–57 on home court
• 2017 (Mali): beat Senegal 65–48, starting the streak
• 2019 (Senegal): beat the hosts 60–55
• 2021 (Cameroon): beat Mali 70–59
• 2023 (Rwanda): beat Senegal 84–74
• 2025 (Ivory Coast): beat Mali 78–64 in Abidjan

That is seven finals and seven wins. Senegal were the beaten finalists four times.

FIBA described the 2025 win as historic. No side had previously strung together five consecutive Women’s AfroBasket wins, and this one lifted Nigeria’s tally to seven. Olympics.com reported that Wakama called her players her “queens” after the final.

D’Tigress on the world stage

Nigeria’s women have done well outside Africa too. They reached the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup. At Paris 2024 they beat Australia 75–62 in their opening game, which was their first Olympic win in 20 years. After losing to hosts France, they beat Canada 79–70 to reach the quarter-finals, the first African basketball team to get that far at the Olympics.

The 2026 Women’s World Cup in Berlin was much harder. FIBA results show Nigeria lost all three group games: 99–81 to South Korea, 71–67 to Hungary and 111–56 to France.

D’Tigers: the 2015 breakthrough

Nigeria’s men won their first and so far only AfroBasket title on 30 August 2015 in Radès, Tunisia. FIBA reported that they beat Angola, the most successful team in the competition, 74–65, and that Chamberlain Oguchi scored 19 points. The title earned Nigeria a direct place at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Before 2015, D’Tigers had lost three AfroBasket finals: to Senegal in 1997 and to Angola in 1999 and 2003. They reached a fourth final in 2017 and lost it to Tunisia. They have also won bronze three times, in 1995, 2005 and 2011.

D’Tigers at the Olympics, and the win over Team USA

The men made their Olympic debut at London 2012. They qualified through FIBA’s world qualifying tournament, becoming the first African team to do so, after beating Lithuania and Greece. They also played at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, three Games in a row.

Before Tokyo, on 10 July 2021 in Las Vegas, Nigeria beat the United States 90–87 in an exhibition game. The team was coached by Mike Brown, then a Golden State Warriors assistant, and included seven NBA players. It was the first time an African team had beaten the USA.

AfroBasket 2025: a rare setback for the men

The 2025 men’s tournament, hosted by Angola, went badly for Nigeria. They lost their quarter-final 91–75 to Senegal and finished fifth. Angola won the title by beating Mali 70–43 in the final. Mali reached both the men’s and women’s finals in 2025 and lost them both.

Who has won the most AfroBasket titles?

On the men’s side, Angola have the most titles: their 2025 win was their 12th. Since 1989, the only other winners have been Senegal (1997), Tunisia (2011, 2017 and 2021) and Nigeria (2015). Among women, Senegal have the most titles with 11, and Nigeria are second with seven. Nigeria have won every Women’s AfroBasket since 2017.

FAQ

How many AfroBasket titles have D’Tigress won?

Seven: 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025.

How many AfroBasket titles have D’Tigers won?

One, in 2015.

Who is the D’Tigress coach?

Rena Wakama, who led the team at Paris 2024 and to the 2025 AfroBasket title.

Has Nigeria ever beaten the USA in basketball?

Yes. On 10 July 2021, in a pre-Olympic exhibition in Las Vegas, D’Tigers beat the United States 90–87.

What to watch

D’Tigress will be aiming for a sixth straight title at the next Women’s AfroBasket in 2027. The next men’s AfroBasket is scheduled for 2029, and D’Tigers’ more immediate target is qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup. For fans, the key thing to follow is squad selection: many of Nigeria’s players are based overseas, so who is available for each window can shape the team’s chances as much as the opposition.

Related: Super Falcons WAFCON titles: Nigeria’s 10 African crowns; Nigerian NBA players: every Nigerian-born player in history; African winners at the Grammys, Oscars, Cannes and Emmys: a timeline. More in our Nigerian Entertainment section.

Sources

• FIBA: Nigeria becomes first team to win five Women’s AfroBasket titles in a row (August 2025)
• FIBA: Nigeria beat Angola in AfroBasket 2015 final to win first-ever continental title (August 2015)
• Olympics.com: D’Tigress coach Rena Wakama praises “my queens” (August 2025)
• Wikipedia: Nigeria men’s national basketball team