Mali and Nigeria are the two African teams that will compete at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany, later this year.
While Nigeria qualified for the global tournament by virtue of winning last year’s FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali secured their place through the qualifying tournament in Wuhan, China.
Mali needed a victory against fellow African side South Sudan, combined with European champions Belgium beating Czechia on the final day of the qualifiers on Tuesday, to reach their third World Cup.
Forward Maimouna Haidara anchored Mali’s effort in the 97-74 win with another all-around performance, finishing with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and a team-high 6 steals.
However, it was Alima Dembele who led all scorers for Mali with 20 points, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists, while Kamite Elisabeth Dabou contributed 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Qualified Teams
Germany qualified as host, as well as the champions of the Continental Cups in 2025, which are Australia (Women’s Asia Cup), Belgium (Women’s EuroBasket), Nigeria (Women’s AfroBasket), and the USA (Women’s AmeriCup).
The other qualified for the World Cup are China, Czechia, Mali, France, Korea, Spain, Italy, Puerto Rico, Hungary, Japan, and Türkiye.