U18 Women’s AfroBasket: Nigeria Face Côte d’Ivoire in Semi-Final Showdown

Nigeria will face hosts Côte d’Ivoire in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket on Friday, with a place in the championship game at stake.

The semi-final is scheduled for 7:00pm Nigerian time at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan, with Nigeria looking to maintain their strong record against their West African rivals.

The two nations have met twice in the available recent head-to-head record, with Nigeria winning both encounters.

Their most recent meeting came at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket Qualifiers, when Nigeria produced a commanding 94-23 victory over Côte d’Ivoire.

Nigeria also edged their opponents 54-53 in the quarter-finals of the 2008 African U18 Championship.

The statistics ahead of Friday’s encounter, however, suggest a competitive contest.

Côte d’Ivoire have averaged 73.3 points and 55 rebounds per game in the tournament, compared with Nigeria’s 68.3 points and 49 rebounds.

Nigeria hold the advantage from three-point range, shooting 26.5 per cent compared with Côte d’Ivoire’s 23.7 per cent, while also converting free throws more efficiently at 61.7 per cent to 50.7 per cent.