Nigeria’s D’Tigers will face Senegal in the quarterfinals of the ongoing FIBA Afrobasket 2025 after the Teranga Lions booked their place in the last eight with a 78-65 triumph over South Sudan on Monday, Bold Sports reports.
D’Tigers had already secured an automatic spot in the quarterfinals by finishing top of their group with a perfect record, joining hosts Angola, Ivory Coast, and Egypt as the four sides that advanced without needing the qualification game.
Senegal, however, had to overcome South Sudan to progress after finishing second in Group D with two wins and a defeat.
The Teranga Lions edged the first quarter 21-18 before dominating the second with a commanding 25-7 run. South Sudan mounted a response in the third, winning 29-16, but Senegal closed the contest strongly, taking the final quarter 16-11 to knock their opponents out.
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“We just stayed poised the whole game. It’s a game of momentum, they had their run, but we kept our heads held high, focusing on playing defense,” Senegal shooting guard Jean Jacques Boissy said after the match.
South Sudan head coach Luol Deng admitted his side left themselves with too much to do after a poor first half but expressed pride in their progress and the growth of African basketball.
“We lost the game in the first half. I thought the guys, we regrouped in the second half and, I wish we had played like that the whole game. It’s basketball, it happens. We hate to lose but we set a really good brand for who we are.”
“All of us, players, staff, we are all disappointed because we hold high standards but I am very happy for African basketball because the players deserve. The game is getting better and the players are better. The more teams get better the more respect we’ll get as a whole,” Deng reflected.
With victory secured, Senegal will now turn their focus to Wednesday’s quarterfinal showdown against Nigeria at the Pavilhão Multiusos de Luanda in Angola.
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