Nigeria’s senior men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, crashed out of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Championship after a 91-75 quarter-final loss to Senegal on Wednesday at the Pavilhão Multiusos de Luanda in Angola.

It was the ninth-ever meeting between the two sides, with Nigeria edging the head-to-head record 5–3 before tip-off. Coming into the clash, the 2015 champions had looked strong, winning all three of their group-stage games against Madagascar, Tunisia, and Cameroon to top Group B. Senegal, meanwhile, had to go through a playoff against South Sudan to reach the last eight.

D’Tigers started brightly, edging the first quarter 24-23, but quickly lost their rhythm in the second as Jean-Jacques Boissy inspired a Senegalese surge. The West Africans dominated that stretch 30-18, giving them an 11-point cushion at halftime.

The momentum stayed with Senegal in the third quarter as they stretched their lead with a 23-13 run. Although Nigeria fought back in the fourth, outscoring their opponents 20-15 in a spirited final push, it was too little, too late.

Statistically, Nigeria struggled for efficiency, making just 35.6% of their 73 field goal attempts, with 35 rebounds, 14 assists, eight steals, and three blocks. Senegal proved sharper, converting 47.1% of 70 field goal attempts while also dominating the boards with 53 rebounds.

For Nigeria, co-captain Ike Nwamu led the scoring with 15 points, while Stan Okoye (14), Caleb Agada (12), and Martins Igbanu (12) provided support. On the Senegalese side, Brancou Badio stole the show with a game-high 32 points, backed by Boissy (19) and Moustapha Pape-Diop (14).

The defeat means Nigeria bow out of AfroBasket at the quarter-final stage. Their focus will now shift to the FIBA Men’s World Cup Qualifiers in November, where they will be aiming to secure a ticket to the 2027 edition in Qatar, having missed out on the 2023 tournament.