Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, saw their AfroBasket 2025 campaign come to a disappointing end after a 91-75 quarter-final loss to Senegal at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda in Angola.
It was the ninth meeting between both sides, with Nigeria holding a slight edge from past encounters, having won five of the previous eight.
The 2015 champions had impressed in the group stage, topping Group B with wins over Madagascar, Tunisia, and Cameroon, while Senegal had to battle past South Sudan in a playoff to secure their last-eight spot.
D’Tigers started brightly, edging the first quarter 24-23. However, they faltered in the second quarter as Jean-Jacques Boissy inspired Senegal to a dominant 30-18 run, handing the Francophone side an 11-point lead at halftime.
The third quarter proved even more difficult for Nigeria, with Senegal extending their dominance to take it 23-13. Despite a spirited fightback in the fourth quarter where D’Tigers outscored their opponents 20-15, the deficit was too great to overturn.
With the loss, Nigeria’s dream of reclaiming the AfroBasket crown ended abruptly, while Senegal advanced to the semi-finals.
