Nigeria beats Tunisia in FIBA U18 women’s championships

Nigeria and Cameroon had wins on Day 1 of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket in Abidjan to set the tone in Group C.

Nigeria got off to a good start in their campaign with a 54-50 win over Tunisia. Tunisia fought hard to keep pace with Nigeria's quick side.

Tunisia started strong in the first quarter, winning 15-13. Malak Chehidi and Rehma Nefzi set the pace, while Nigeria's Favour Joy Anari led the way. Nigeria won the second quarter 14-10.

However, Tunisia regained control in the second half with a score of 19-16, holding a one-point lead of 44-43.

The last quarter was the turning point for the Nigerian women, who stopped the Tunisians' offensive play with a defensive strategy.

For over 6:42 minutes, Tunisia did not score a basket. By the time they recovered, the Nigerian women had a comfortable lead, and the North Africans struggled to catch up.

Malak Chehidi led the floor with 16 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Her teammates, Rahma Nefzi and Orane Tlemcani, added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

However, this was not enough to hold off the Nigerian women. They were led by Favour Joy Anari, who had 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Khadijah Alli followed with 9 points, and Bisola Arowolo and Nimah Ibidun combined for 15 points.

There were nine lead changes and six ties during the back-and-forth game, with Nigeria forcing Tunisia into 33 turnovers and stealing the ball from their opponents 15 times.

After the game, Tunisia head coach Islam Mohamed Haddar praised his players for their fighting spirit but blamed their loss on fatigue.

Haddar said: “We didn’t play badly against Nigeria, but I must admit that lack of rest contributed to the way we played. We had a long trip and arrived only Monday night and had to play today. However, nothing is lost except for this game, and I think we will take a rest and plan better before our next game.”

Tunisia guard Malak Chehidi, on her part, said they lost to a better Nigeria side. “We played with an intention to win, but it didn’t turn out the way we wanted. The Nigerian women shared the ball better than we did, and I must admit that they are a tough side. There’s room for improvement, and we will work to get better in our next game."

Nigeria coach Peter Akindele expressed his joy over the win against Tunisia, which turned out to be his first international victory in the tournament's history.  Akindele said: “I am glad for this win and glad that the girls played hard for the win. The game was close, but we had to adapt a defensive play on the court to keep the Tunisians from scoring, and the plan worked. We had to introduce more defensive players to keep the lead. Right now, we look forward to our next game."

Anari, the only Nigerian to score in double figures (14), didn’t have any pretentions about the team’s ambition and said as such to indicate their intentions. "This is our first win," she said. "Our first game? We came for one thing — the win, and the gold, and I'm sure we will get there because every player wants to give 100%. This win will boost our confidence as we progress.”

On Friday, Group C action resumes with Tunisia and Senegal, the two losing teams from the opening match, facing each other before Cameroon takes on Nigeria in a highly anticipated matchup.