Senegal exacted revenge against Cameroon, the team that denied them a spot in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament last year, with a hard-fought 87-83 victory on Sunday at the Dakar Arena.
The win secured Senegal a perfect 3-0 record in Group C of the AfroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.
Despite Senegal’s 18-point lead early in the game, Cameroon stormed back and even took the lead in the fourth quarter.
However, a decisive 4-0 run in the final minute, capped by Moustapha Diop’s clutch floater with 58 seconds left, sealed the victory for the hosts.
Brancou Badiou was the star of the game, delivering a game-high 31 points for Senegal.
Karim Mané also contributed significantly with 12 points and a crucial defensive play, blocking Cameroonian guard Jeremiah Hill’s layup attempt in the final moments.
Hill, who had 18 points and 9 assists, was one of three Cameroonians to score 16 or more, but their efforts fell short as Cameroon left Dakar with a 2-1 record.
Senegal’s defensive intensity was evident, as they registered five blocks and dominated the boards with a 53-33 rebounding advantage.
Their offensive prowess also shone, as they tied an AfroBasket 2025 Qualifiers record with 13 three-pointers for the second consecutive game.
Both teams displayed a closely matched performance, sharing the same number of assists (18) and shooting nearly identical free-throw percentages (72.7%).
Cameroon head coach Alfred Aboya acknowledged Senegal’s strong performance, saying, “Hats off to Senegal. They played an unbelievable game. They are a well-coached team. We fought hard, but it came down to the last minute. We look forward to the return window in February.”
Senegal head coach DeSagana Diop praised his team’s resilience, stating, “I’ve been around basketball for a long time, and I’ve seen big leads vanish in two minutes. But I’m proud of my team because they never gave up.”
