Nigeria’s hopes of a second FIBA Afrobasket crown were dashed on Wednesday as they fell 91-75 to Senegal in their quarter-final clash at the Pavilhao Multiusos in Luanda, Angola, Afrosport reports.
The D’Tigers started brightly, edging the first quarter 24-23 after seven lead changes. But Senegal seized control in the second period, opening with a 13-5 run that forced head coach Abdulrahman Mohammed to call a timeout.
It did little to halt the momentum, as the Teranga Lions dominated the quarter 30-18 to take an 11-point lead into half-time.
From there, the five-time champions never looked back. Senegal stretched their advantage to 24 points in the third quarter, which they also won 23-13, effectively putting the contest beyond Nigeria’s reach.
The D’Tigers showed fight in the fourth, cutting the deficit by five points with a 20-15 run, but the damage had already been done as Senegal had made the contest a one-sided affair.
Our AfroBasket 2025 run is over. 💔 pic.twitter.com/PY2QjgAZz4
— D’Tigers | Nigeria Basketball (@NigeriaBasket) August 20, 2025
Senegal guard Brancou Badio delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with 32 points on 60% shooting, including four three-pointers. Jean-Jacques Boissy, fresh from winning the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) title and MVP honours, added 21 points and six rebounds off the bench.
Ike Nwamu top-scored for Nigeria with 15 points, while co-captain Stan Okoye contributed 14 points and seven rebounds. Caleb Agada also chipped in with 12 points.
“It hurts,” Nwamu said after the loss. “We had high hopes; we a had a really good group, fun group, we all love each other, but it’s part of the game, one team has to win, another team has to lose. it was not our day today.
“They came out with more energy, We were kind of flat to start. They are a really good team; they got lost of high-level players, it was their night tonight.”
The victory secured Senegal’s place in the semi-finals for the fifth consecutive time. Ngagne Diop’s side will now face Mali, having already beaten them 80-70 in the group stage.
