Sports
Meet Rena Wakama, the first female coach to win Afrobasket title
Nigeria’s D’Tigress celebrated their 2023 Women’s Afrobasket after defeating Senegal 84-74 in the final of the Afrobasket championship on Saturday.
D’Tigress’ victory secured Nigeria’s place as only the second country to win the women’s Afrobasket title four times in a row.
The team had won the previous three editions and remained unbeaten in every African competition.
Similarly, Rena Wakama, D’Tigress head coach, became the first female coach to win the competition since its inception in 1966.
She is a refreshing change to male dominance of women’s basketball in Africa after 57 years.
Wakama was appointed less than a month before the competition in Rwanda, yet she conjured brilliance and history.
How did a 31-year-old with a brief playing career become Africa’s most successful female basketball in just half a month?
EARLY LIFE AND CAREER
Wakama was born on April 11, 1992, in Raleigh, North Carolina, US. Her parents — Johnson Wakama and Rosana Oba — are natives of Okrika, Rivers state.
Wakama has two sisters, Yvonne and Mina, and attended Wake Forest high school in North Carolina. Her love for basketball started at a tender age and was inspired by Onimisi Aiyede, her cousin, who was her partner in crime.
“We did it. Staying up all night playing video games, racing down the street head first on a skateboard, teaching me how to ride a bike, holding my hand on our walk to the bus stop on my first day of kindergarten, teaching me how to drive, installing my stereo system in my first car, kicking my behind in basketball,” she wrote on her Instagram page after Aiyede passed away in 202o.
After high school, Wakama proceeded to the University of Western Carolina (WSU) where she spent four years playing for ‘Catamounts’ — the institution’s female basketball team.
Wakama received a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from WSU in 2014.
She had a brief playing career which saw her join the D’Tigress fold in 2015, immediately after she left college. She accompanied D’Tigress to the 2015 Women’s Afrobasket tournament in Cameroon where Nigeria finished third.
Wakama said her name was missing from Nigeria’s team roster at that competition because of a missed deadline for registration.
“FIBA has a bunch of rules, a bunch of regulations to meet, but unfortunately, when I came, I missed the deadline to get registered,” she told ThisDay in an interview.
She also represented Nigeria’s First Bank at the FIBA Africa Champions Cup for Women before transitioning into coaching.
“I knew I wanted to be a coach. I knew that was my calling; that was what I wanted to be,” she said.
“I knew that was my journey; I knew I had more impact organising a team. Even while we were in Cameroon with the girls, I just knew exactly what I wanted to do with my career; that’s my calling, that’s my passion, and I had to follow it. When God puts something in your heart, you have to follow it. I wanted to start early.”
Wakama then moved to Manhattan College and served as the director of women’s basketball operations for her first two years at the institution.
She became an assistant coach in her third year at the institution, developing talents while serving as the team’s academics and community service liaison.
The 31-year-old was handling the job when the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) came knocking. Wakama would later be named the assistant coach of the Stony Brook Seawolves women’s basketball team.
Wakama was appointed a few weeks before the tournament
LESS THAN A MONTH IN CHARGE
Wakama was contacted for the role to be the new D’Tigress head coach by Musa Adamu, the team’s general manager. After several interviews and calls, she became the first female head coach of the Nigerian female basketball national team on June 30.
Waves of criticism followed her appointment as many questioned the logic that dictates the replacement of the experienced Otis Hughley with a newbie.
Hughley had led D’Tigress to three consecutive Afrobasket successes, leaving behind a vast boot to be filled.
Aside from the pressure of reputation, Wakama was saddled with preparing the team for the 2023 Afrobasket in less than a month.
TOOK CHARGE OF A DEPLETED SQUAD
Shortly after Wakama was named head coach, NBBF announced open tryouts for the women’s team in Chicago, Lagos, and Abuja.
The tryouts aimed to scout new players for the team ahead of the 2023 Women’s Afrobasket.
The move was staunchly criticised by some of the established D’Tigress players. They refused to attend, and a couple announced their retirement.
Consequently, some top players did not make the final cut. The affected players include Adaora Elonu, the team’s captain to the 2021 Afrobasket triumph, Promise Amukamara, Ezinne Kalu, Victoria Macaulay and Ify Ibekwe.
Oderah Chidom and Nicole Enabosi are other members who featured in the 2021 competition but did not make the list.
Out of the 2021 title-winning team, only Sarah Ogoke, Pallas Kunayi-Akpannah and Amy Okonkwo made the squad for Kigali.
With depleted stars and experience, Wakama and her band of new ladies were not tipped to successfully defend the continental title.
With a team bereft of stars and top players, Wakama made history
FIRST FEMALE COACH TO REACH AFROBASKET FINAL
Despite the absence of key players from the team, Wakama led the D’Tigress to a flawless run at the Afrobasket.
Nigeria defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first game before thumping Egypt to progress out of the group.
The Nigerians then overcame Mozambique in the quarter-final before thrashing Rwanda in the semis.
The victory earned Wakama her first historic milestone as the first female coach to lead a team to the Afrobasket final.
A few days later, she extended the achievement to become the first female coach to win the competition.
Arsenal cruised past Bournemouth to go four points clear at the top of the Premier League before Saturday’s later games.
With the win, Arsenal ensured they kept the pressure on Manchester City in the title race.
Bukayo Saka opened the scoring with a first-half penalty, with the Gunners totally dominant for much of the game. They had an astonishing 16 shots in the first-half alone, with the Cherries managing just one and even that was not on target.
Saka’s penalty came on the stroke of half-time after Kai Havertz trailed his leg to ensure he was brought down by Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers. While the Cherries were resurgent after the break, they struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Arsenal keeper David Raya barely had a save to make, with Leandro Trossard wrapping up the three points when he swept the ball past Travers with 20 minutes to go before Declan Rice topped the win off with an injury-time goal. Here, Mirror Football looks at the biggest talking points from Arsenal’s win.
Arsenal are continuing to do their job in the title race, with this win moving them four points clear of Manchester City. The reigning champions play Wolves on Saturday evening, with their other game in hand coming a week on Tuesday.
The Gunners have a superior goal difference over their title rivals, which means City have to win both of their games in hand to overtake them. Mikel Arteta’s side have just two games left, against Manchester United and Everton.
That appears to be a slightly more difficult run-in compared to City, who after playing Wolves will face Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham. It means Arsenal appear to be relying on their bitter rivals Spurs to help them win the title.
It was honestly a mystery how Bukayo Saka’s penalty was the only difference between the teams come half-time. Arsenal had an astonishing 16 shots in the opening 45 minutes as they also dominated possession.
But as has happened so often this season, the Gunners struggled to convert that dominance into clear-cut chances. Just five of their shots were on target, highlighting what is likely to be Arsenal’s biggest focus in the transfer window.
Boss Arteta looks likely to target a new striker in the summer, with Kai Havertz playing through the middle against the Cherries. A proven goalscorer will be at the top of his list, given his side’s struggles to convert their chances.
Saka stepped up to score his sixth penalty of the season ( Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka has now scored six penalties this season, his highest-ever total from the spot in one campaign. In fact, the last time he missed a penalty was over a year ago, with his last four spot-kicks coming in wins for his side.
Saka is now clearly in second in the Premier League scoring charts for penalties, a good sign for England ahead of Euro 2024. His style against Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers was typically cool and confident.
After waiting for several seconds following the referee’s whistle, Saka stuttered his run-up to allow Travers to dive before rolling the ball into the opposite corner. Saka is now clearly Arsenal’s man from the spot.
Bournemouth have been safe of relegation for some time and it showed in their trip to Arsenal. The visitors struggled to make much of an impact on the game in the first-half, with the Cherries failing to have any chances of note.
They were better after the break and were perhaps unlucky not to be awarded a penalty or a goal in the second period. But with the Cherries now 22 points clear of the relegation zone, this was a typical end of season performance from a side ready for their holidays.
Three minutes after Trossard scored Arsenal’s second, Bournemouth had the ball in the back of the net themselves. But referee David Coote ruled it out for foul on David Raya, though replays suggested the Arsenal keeper was barely touched.
Instead, it looked like the Cherries should have been awarded a penalty for a shirt pull, though VAR Peter Bankes ultimately sided with Coote. That decision allowed Raya to keep hold of his clean sheet, one which ensured has won the golden glove award.
Fourteen-year-old Daniel Anjorin, who was tragically killed in a sword attack in the UK, was honoured at Arsenal’s match against Bournemouth during a special tribute on Saturday.
The teenager, who was a fan of the North London club, lost his life horrifically while on his way to school in Hainault, east London, in broad daylight on Tuesday. Four others sustained injuries during the frenzied attack. His death has seen tributes pour in far and wide as donations reached £118,502 in two days.
The Gunners honoured the little boy’s memory before kick-off at the Emirates. Arsenal fans held a minute’s applause in the 14th minute.
Heartfelt pictures showed the moment the crowed clapped for the brave schoolboy, with another image showing fans waving a banner with the words ‘R.I.P Daniel’. Arsenal also displayed a sweet photograph of Daniel on the big screens before the game began. It is believed that the club have spoken to the family liaison officer to offer their support.
The club earlier said: “We share in the shock and sadness of Daniel Anjorin’s death earlier this week. With his family’s blessing, we will make a tribute to Daniel shortly ahead of kick off tomorrow. We ask all supporters to pay their respects to Daniel with us in this moment.”
The boy’s family told Sky News he was “a wonderful child” who was “well loved” and “hard working”, adding that his death “leaves a gaping wound in the family”. They told the broadcaster: “No family should have to go through what we are experiencing today. Any family will understand it’s an absolute tragedy.”
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