Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, has been eliminated from the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket championship after a 91-75 loss to Senegal in their quarterfinal match at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda in Angola. This marks the ninth meeting between the two teams, with Nigeria having won five of their previous eight encounters.
The game started promisingly for D’Tigers, who edged the first quarter 24-23. However, Senegal’s impressive performance in the second quarter, led by Jean-Jacques Boissy, saw them take a commanding 11-point lead into halftime. The Francophone nation continued to pile on the pressure in the third quarter, winning it 23-13 and effectively sealing the win. Despite a late surge from D’Tigers in the fourth quarter, they couldn’t overcome the deficit, losing the game 91-75.
Brancou Badio was instrumental in Senegal’s victory, scoring a game-high 32 points. Boissy added 19 points, while Moustapha Pape-Diop contributed 14 points. For Nigeria, co-captain Ike Nwamu led the team with 15 points, followed closely by Stan Okoye, Caleb Agada, and Martins Igbanu, who scored 14, 12, and 12 points, respectively.
D’Tigers had a strong run in the group stage, winning all three of their matches against Madagascar, Tunisia, and Cameroon. They finished top of Group B and were looking to build on that momentum in the knockout stages. However, their loss to Senegal means they will not be competing for the championship title.
With their AfroBasket campaign coming to an end, D’Tigers will now focus on the FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifying Series, set to commence in November. Their goal will be to secure a spot in the next edition of the competition, scheduled to take place in Qatar in 2027. Nigeria missed out on the 2023 edition, and the team will be eager to make amends.
