ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - By reaching the 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket, both Mali and Nigeria secured the two places available to African teams at the 2027 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in China.
While Mali reached the Championship Game undefeated after five games, Nigeria did so with a record of four wins and one loss.
The final is scheduled for Sunday 16 August at the Palais des Sports Treichville in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Neither Mali nor Nigeria are new to the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup, which has been staged across different countries, including an African one, over the previous eleven editions.
Tunisia was the first and only African country to host the biennial tournament.
In recent years, there has been a staggering improvement in the results of African teams in the U19 Women's World Cup, with Mali leading the way.
Here's a look at the history of African teams at the U19 Women's Basketball World Cup.
Year | Host | African Teams (W-L) | Final Standing | How they qualified | NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | Czechia | Mali Nigeria 2-5 | - 12th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket |
|
2023 | Spain | Mali 5-2 Egypt 2-5 | - 5th - 12th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket |
|
2021 | Hungary | Mali 4-3
Egypt 1-6 | - 4th - 12th | 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket African champions | - Mali became the first and only African team to reach the tournament's Semi-Final |
2019 | Thailand | Mali 2-5
Mozambique 2-5 | - 7th
- 15th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket |
|
2017 | Italy | Mali 2-5 Egypt 1-6 | - 13th - 16th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket |
|
2015 | Russia | Mali 1-6 Egypt 0-7 | - 12th - 16th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket |
|
2013 | Lithuania | Mali 1-5 Senegal 0-5 | - 15th - 16th | 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket African Champions |
|
2011 | Chile | Egypt 0-4 Nigeria - | - 15th - 16th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket | Nigeria withdrew |
2009 | Thailand | Mali 1-4 Tunisia 1-4 | - 14th - 15th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket |
|
2007 | Slovakia | Mali 1-4 Côte d'Ivoire 0-5 | - 15th - 16th | African Champions 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket |
|
2005 | Tunisia | DR Congo 1-6
Tunisia 0-7 | - 11th
- 12th | 2nd place at U18 W. AfroBasket African Champions | The tournament consisted of 12 teams |
FIBA