Despite both teams securing qualification into the next round, there was still much to play for. For Senegal, it was to top the group, and for Congo, it was to regain their place continentally after a a sluggish form recently. Senegal managed to overcome their first half woes and race to the finish line with a strong second half. Senegal went on to win 89-63 with Faye scoring 22 points in this duel.
Last Updated on
July 15, 2026
History has recorded that the encounter remains physical when these two sides face each other. Such was evident in the very first possession when Flo Thamba got called for the offensive foul. This turnover led to Senegal's first basket courtesy of Karim Mané under the rim. However, the Leopards bounced right back. Flo Thamba redeemed himself with a lay up under the basket. Then the captain Rolly Fula scored another lay up before John Jordan joined the party for a pullup mid-range jump shot.
Ibrahima Faye made his paint presence felt with the offensive rebound and put-back. It became a battle of the boards as Flo Thamba grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked out to John Jordan who lined it up from three. Faye's response was immediate and effective when he threw it down with authority. The battle of the big men continued as Flo Thamba drew a foul on a field goal attempt and was awarded two free throws. Coach Diop had seen enough and called a timeout.
After the timeout, Flo Thamba converted both free throws to extend the Congolese lead. Rolly Fula then added another two points with a pullup jump shot. It was then that the offensive juggernaut, Brancou Badio, was awakened. He joined the party with a deep three-pointer after a dormant start. However, Flo Thamba continued to dominate the paint with another lay up in the paint. The Senegalese combo of Faye and Badio struck again when Faye rocked the rim once more with a ferocious dunk followed up by another three-pointer by Badio.
There was a clear momentum swing and it prompted a Congolese timeout. Despite this turnover, the pendulum continued to swing in favor of the Lions of Teranga when Mbaye Ndiaye had back-to-back baskets from an offensive rebound and a fast break following a turnover, respectively. The Leopards went on the offensive again with a 6-0 run dominating the paint. The game was tight with little to nothing separating the two sides until Faye and Babacar Sane each dropped a three-pointer to give Senegal a 24-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was even more tightly contested than the first. Senegal struggled with their transition defense early in the second quarter when Franck Nyembo scored on back-to-back fast breaks, rocking the rim on the second attempt with a thunderous dunk. 2025 BAL MVP, JJ Boissy, stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer. Congo turned to Shekinah Munanga who is known for his deceptive offensive acumen. He answered the call with a three-pointer for the Leopards. Boissy let it be known that he was still not done when he splashed another three-pointer to regain the lead.
Munanga then passed up a good shot for a better one when he assisted Fula for a mid-range jump shot. This shot drew both sides levelled at 30 points. Babacar Sane showed great athleticism when he converted the alley oop from Moustapha Diop. Flo Thamba was back to wreak havoc in the paint as he scored once more in the paint. Senegal responded by going on a 5-0 run where Diop shot a three before Sane dunked.
The Leopards called a timeout to regroup. John Jordan came out with a jump shot. Rolly Fula was on fire for the Congolese with another jump shot from a Senegalese turnover. To stop the Congolese armada, Sane answered the call with a three-pointer. Garmine Kande then put his athleticism on full display when the high flyer rose high above the rim for an emphatic dunk to make in a one-point game. It was John Jordan's late lay up that gave the Leopards a one-point lead at the half with the score at 44-43.
In the third quarter, Senegal showed their defensive superiority after limiting Congo to only eight points the whole quarter while scoring 22. John Jordan opened the half with a trip to the line where he made both his free throws. Karim Sané returned to the game and scored a lay up to keep Senegal within one point. Congo then went on a 4-0 run to go up by five points.
The Lions of Teranga began roaring and showed why they are the kings of the jungle. They turned the defensive intensity all the way up with fast breaks that led to back-to-back dunks for Faye and Ibou Badji. Faye added another fast break dunk before Diop connected with Ndiaye on the alley oop for a dunk. Senegal turned the tide and regained the lead. John Jordan continued to fight to find ways to keep his side within striking distance with two free throws.
Senegal then continued with their highlight reels when Ndiaye caught another lob but from Badio this time. Ndiaye returned the favor when he kicked out on the offensive rebound to Badio whose shot found the bottom of the net from beyond the arc. It was all Ndiaye to end the quarter as he had another put-back before flying with the stars for an alley oop dunk from Sane following a Congolese turnover. Badio would close the quarter with a lay up to give Senegal a 65-52 lead at the end of the third quarter.
DRC went to Flo Thamba in their very first possession of the fourth quarter and he threw down a dunk to revitalise his team who looked all out of creativity and willpower. There was a dry spell where neither team managed to score even one point. The deadlock was broken by Garmine Kande on a second chance opportunity under the rim. Babacar Sane then broke scored Senegal's first point in the quarter after three minutes with a three-pointer. Faye was still feeling bouncy when he caught another alley oop from Diop the take the game to 70-56 with six and a half to go.
After a three-minute dry spell for both teams, Faye ran off on a fast to rock the rim once more. The Senegalese side was in full control as Babacar Sane threw down his own dunk on a fast break. The Leopard seemed gassed and the Senegalese side capitalised on this. Brancou Badio added salt to injury with another three pointer to make it 77-56. John Jordan remained resolute when he drew a foul on a made basket and converted the free throw that came with it.
Senegal continued with more highlights with an alley oop lay up from Ndiaye before Faye threw down another dunk on the fast break. Rolly Fula converted a mid-range jump shot in a last ditched effort. Ndiaye's response was to step back to the perimeter and show his range with a three-pointer. John Jordan was not going to let the Senegalese have all the action when he rose up for a dunk to get his own highlight.
Senegal rounded off the game with a Boissy three and a Sane lay up on the buzzer to claim an 89-63 win that sees them claim the top spot in Group B. Despite his 20-point performance, John Jordan was not able to inspire his team to victory but will be happy that they have qualified for the next round. Mbaye Ndiaye filled the stats sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals.
[Photography and Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
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