2025 Afrobasket: D’Tigers Fall to Senegal, Miss Semifinal Spot

Nigeria’s D’Tigers were denied a place in the semifinals of the ongoing 2025 Afrobasket championship in Luanda, Angola, after a 91-75 loss to a fired-up Senegalese team on Wednesday.

The defeat came just weeks after Nigeria’s D’Tigresses eliminated Senegal in the women’s Afrobasket, setting the stage for what became a symbolic revenge for the West African rivals.

The quarterfinal clash started with both sides evenly matched. Senegal took the opening jump ball and drew first blood with two points, but D’Tigers responded quickly and edged the first quarter 24-23.

However, the game took a sharp turn in the second quarter as Senegal surged ahead with a dominant 30-18 performance, heading into halftime with a commanding 53-42 lead.

The pressure mounted for D’Tigers in the third quarter, where they again struggled, losing 13-23. Despite a late push in the fourth quarter, which they won 20-15, the gap was too wide to close, and the game ended 91-75 in Senegal’s favour.

Although Nigeria still leads the historical head-to-head 5-4, this defeat narrows the margin and ends D’Tigers’ campaign at this stage.

Notably, Nigeria’s NBA star Josh Okogie, who had lit up the group stages with 33 points in one game, was shut down by Senegal’s defense and managed only four points.

Senegal’s Brancou Badio was the standout performer of the match, dropping 32 points and recording a game efficiency rate of 29%.

With the win, Senegal advances to the semifinals, while Nigeria’s D’Tigers will now reflect on a tournament that promised much but ended short of expectations.