Afrobasket: D’Tigers eliminated, lose chance at Tinubu’s $100,000 cash reward

Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, have bowed out of the 2025 FIBA Afrobasket Championship in Angola after falling 91-75 to Senegal in the quarter-finals on Wednesday night.

The game began on a promising note for the Nigerian side, who edged the first quarter 24-23. However, their momentum quickly slipped away in the second quarter as Senegal dominated with a 30-13 run, creating a gap D’Tigers could not recover from.

The five-time Afrobasket champions, Senegal, further tightened their grip in the third quarter, outscoring Nigeria 23-13 and effectively sealing the contest before the final buzzer.

Despite a spirited effort in the final quarter, where D’Tigers managed to outscore their opponents 20-15, they were ultimately unable to close the gap, concluding the match with a disappointing 91-75 loss to their West African rivals.

This defeat means that D’Tigers, unlike their female counterparts who recently claimed the women’s version of the competition for the fifth consecutive time, will miss out on the $100,000 reward offered by President Bola Tinubu.