AfroBasket Fire: D’Tigers, Senegal battle for World Cup ticket in epic quarter -final showdown
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Senegal, on the other hand, reached the quarterfinals after beating South Sudan 78–65 in the playoff round. They had earlier won against Uganda (88–53) and Mali (84–70), but lost to Egypt (91–77) in the group stage
After winning all three of their group-stage games, Nigeria’s D’Tigers are ready for a big quarterfinal clash against Senegal at the 2025 AfroBasket tournament.
The match will be played on Wednesday afternoon in Luanda, Angola.
D’Tigers topped Group B after defeating:
- Madagascar (77–59)
- Tunisia (87–66)
- Cameroon (99–90)
Senegal, on the other hand, reached the quarterfinals after beating South Sudan 78–65 in the playoff round. They had earlier won against Uganda (88–53) and Mali (84–70), but lost to Egypt (91–77) in the group stage.
Senegal has a strong history in AfroBasket, with five gold medals (1968, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1997), six silver, and five bronze medals. This is their 30th time participating. Nigeria is making its 20th appearance, having won the tournament once in 2015 and finished as runners-up in 1997, 1999, 2003, and 2017.
The last time Nigeria and Senegal met in a knockout round was the 2015 semifinals. Nigeria won that game 88–79 in overtime and went on to win the title.
This quarterfinal match is crucial, as both teams are also aiming for a spot in the FIBA Basketball World Championship, which comes with reaching the semifinals.
There’s also added motivation: earlier this year, Nigeria’s women’s team, D’Tigress, beat Senegal in the semifinals of the Women’s AfroBasket and later won the championship.
One key player to watch is Stan Okoye, the only remaining player from Nigeria’s 2015 championship squad. His experience could play a big role in guiding the team.
A team official shared that the players are highly motivated, especially with the support of President Bola Tinubu’s reward system for successful athletes.
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