The stage is officially set for the 29th edition of the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, scheduled to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2025. The recently conducted draw placed Africa’s top women’s basketball nations into four competitive groups, sparking predictions and excitement ahead of the tournament. Nigeria’s D’Tigress, defending champions and continental powerhouses, headline Group D and will look to extend their dominance in African women’s basketball.
The groups were drawn as follows:
Group A
Côte d’Ivoire (CIV)
Egypt (EGY)
Angola (ANG)
Group B
Mali (MLI)
Cameroon (CMR)
South Sudan (SSD)
Group C
Senegal (SEN)
Uganda (UGA)
Guinea (GUI)
Group D
Nigeria (NGR)
Mozambique (MOZ)
Rwanda (RWA)
The tournament promises intense matchups, with Nigeria tipped as the favorites given their recent run of form and depth in squad quality. However, traditional giants Senegal and Mali, both past champions, remain strong contenders. Senegal boasts the most titles in the competition’s history, while Mali’s youth development has earned them a top-tier reputation in recent years.
Basketball analysts believe Group B could be the “group of death” with the physical presence of Mali and the fast-rising South Sudanese side eager to make their mark. Meanwhile, Group C offers intriguing battles with Senegal looking to reclaim their lost glory. Nigeria, boasting back-to-back titles from 2017 to 2023, will be under pressure to maintain its reign and defend its title successfully.
As the tournament draws nearer, all eyes will be on Abidjan to see whether Nigeria can continue their dominance or if a new powerhouse will rise from the shadows to challenge their throne. With Olympic qualifiers and global basketball rankings also at stake, the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket is more than a title race, it’s a showcase of Africa’s best on the hardwood.
