Senegal Stuns Hosts Côte d'Ivoire to Reach AfroBasket Semifinals and Book World Cup Qualifier spot

Senegal Stuns Hosts Côte d'Ivoire to Reach AfroBasket Semifinals and Book World Cup Qualifier spot

With a deafening home crowd behind them and history on their side, Côte d'Ivoire looked poised to secure a first AfroBasket semifinal in over a decade. Instead, they ran into a Senegalese squad that flipped the script and silenced the Palais des Sports de Treichville with a gritty 66-60 comeback win that sent them to the last four — and into the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments.

Senegal's place in the semifinals maintains their near-perfect record in the competition's history: they've now made it to the final four in all 26 of their AfroBasket appearances. For Côte d'Ivoire, the loss marks an emotional exit and the first time in seven editions that the host nation fails to reach the semifinals.

The game had all the ingredients of a classic. Côte d'Ivoire burst out of the gates, controlling tempo and disrupting Senegal's offense with disciplined defense. The hosts racked up eight defensive rebounds in the first quarter and limited the 11-time champions to just 11 points — five of which came in the final minute following four straight missed chances.

By the second quarter, the lead had grown to 13 (26-13), and Côte d’Ivoire appeared to be cruising. But Senegal found a pulse through their defense. They clawed back to within six points (33-27) with just over two minutes left in the half before heading into the break trailing 36-27.

Then came the turning point.

Senegal stormed out in the third quarter with a 15-6 run, capped by a fast-break layup from Fatou Pouye off a brilliant dime from Cierra Dillard that tied the score at 42. The dynamic shift was palpable — and irreversible.

“We knew we had to come out strong,” Dillard said postgame. “With home teams, the energy is on a hundred. They came out fired up, but as the game went on, they got tired, and we stayed poised. That’s when you pick up — and that’s how I finally found my way in the third quarter.”

Dillard’s composure set the tone for a group that didn’t flinch under pressure, even in front of thousands of fans. She handed Senegal their first lead of the night at 44-43 in the fourth quarter. Although Ameryst Alston briefly reclaimed the edge for Côte d’Ivoire, Lena Timera drilled a three-pointer to make it 47-45, a lead the visitors would not relinquish.

After going up 55-50, Senegal briefly faltered, giving up a 7-0 run that saw the hosts surge back ahead. But the Senegalese answered in kind — another 7-0 burst put them back in control at 62-57 with under three minutes to play. Côte d’Ivoire never recovered.

Captain Yacine Diop was the heartbeat of the comeback. She pulled down five critical rebounds in the third quarter alone and finished with 13 points and eight boards — all while playing much of the fourth quarter with four fouls. Dillard, as ever, was unshakeable, pacing her side in scoring, contributing assists, and adding three steals. Together, the duo accounted for eight of Senegal’s twelve assists and shared the game’s top efficiency rating at 18.

If Senegal’s starters took time to settle, the bench more than made up for it. Outscoring Côte d’Ivoire’s reserves 22-3, the second unit stepped up big when Ndioma Kane and Madjiguene Sene struggled early.

“The team is very young — for some, it’s their first AfroBasket,” she added. “But the vets like Yacine [Diop], Fatou [Pouye], they understand that 40 minutes is a long time. We had the youngsters playing in the first quarter, and then the vets stepped up huge with big shots. Lena [Timera] rose up to the occasion too.”

Côte d’Ivoire can still aim for a top-five finish — a result they last achieved in 2017 — but the dream of a home semifinal run has vanished. Meanwhile, Senegal marches on, awaiting the winner of Nigeria vs. Cameroon, one step closer to reclaiming a title they last lifted in 2015.

[Photography: Courtesy of FIBA]