Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, will look to continue their unbeaten run at the ongoing AfroBasket 2025 when they face the Teranga Lions of Senegal in a highly anticipated quarter-final clash today (Wednesday) at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda in Angola.
Coach Mohammed Abdulrahman’s men stormed into the last eight after topping Group B with maximum points, dispatching Madagascar (77–59), outclassing defending champions Tunisia (87–66), and sealing their dominance with a 99–90 victory over Cameroon.
“Our identity is to play good defence and then see if we can run and get quick and easy baskets,” Abdulrahman said ahead of the clash.
“We are not the biggest team around, but we use that to our advantage by being quick on the floor, choking opponents defensively, forcing steals, and then pushing the ball.”
Senegal Battle Through the Hard Way
Senegal, Five-time AfroBasket winners, endured a trickier route to the quarter-finals. They opened with a commanding 88–53 win over Uganda but stumbled against Egypt in a 91–77 defeat, before recovering with an 80–70 victory against Mali.
That left them short of automatic qualification, forcing a play-in tie against South Sudan, which they edged 78–65 to secure a date with Nigeria.
Senegal’s danger men include team captain Brancou Badio, who dropped 31 points against South Sudan, and veteran guard Jean Jacques Boissy, with forward Ibrahim Faye providing additional threat in the paint.
History and Rivalry
The clash renews one of Africa’s fiercest basketball rivalries, Nigeria and Senegal have met eight times at major tournaments, with D’Tigers holding the edge with five wins to Senegal’s three.
2001 AfroBasket: Nigeria won 80–65 in the group stage. 2009 AfroBasket: Nigeria triumphed 76–58 in the semi-final. 2013 AfroBasket: Senegal edged a dramatic quarter-final 64–63. 2015 AfroBasket: Nigeria won 88–79 in the semis on their way to the title. 2017 AfroBasket: D’Tigers prevailed 76–71 in another semi-final. 2018 FIBA WC Qualifiers: Nigeria cruised 89–61. 2019 FIBA WC Qualifiers: Senegal hit back with an 84–63 victory. 2023 Pre-Olympic Qualifiers (Lagos): Senegal narrowly beat Nigeria 93–87.
With both nations boasting proud basketball traditions, the tie promises fireworks.
Key Men to Watch
Nigeria will bank on Houston Rockets guard Josh Okogie, along with co-captains Ike Nwamu and veteran Stan Okoye, the lone survivor of the 2015 championship-winning squad.
Caleb Agada has also been a standout, while the supporting cast has stepped up impressively in Luanda.
For Senegal, all eyes will be on Brancou Badio, whose scoring power can swing games, while Boissy and Faye will aim to stretch Nigeria’s defence.
What’s at Stake
Victory will move either side into the semi-finals, edging them closer to continental glory, for Nigeria, it is another chance to replicate the heights of 2015, when they lifted their first-ever AfroBasket title.
For Senegal, it is an opportunity to reassert themselves as one of Africa’s true basketball powerhouses.