The victory of the Lions of Senegal (64-63) against Nigeria in the second round of the 2013 Afrobasket Wednesday, was unexpected by most Senegalese back home. Overestimating Nigeria, they were rare before the start of the meeting to believe in a qualification of their team in the quarterfinals .

Even leading to a minute from the end, the consideration was the same. “Nigerians are dangerous, they will come back,” said a reporter of a popular private television. “The Senegalese team does not have the potential to exceed the quarterfinals. Otherwise it would be a very great achievement. Already exceed the cap of knockout would be a great performance,”said Saturday already one of the sports writers among the most respected in the country.

Sports journalist renowned for a little more than 50 years, Abdoulaye Diaw from Radio Future Media (RFM) estimated that “Senegal has certainly won the continental trophy five times in men, but the lack of experience and practice could be the main stumbling block against Nigeria “. Shared by most technicians and other specialists in basketball that kept talking of a “great performance “ of Senegal in case of a win.

Better, they kept praising the Nigerian team in which 11 over 12 were born in the United States or have never set foot in their country of origin. Micro sidewalks made in Dakar before the meeting revealed that ” the Senegalese had fear of Nigerians and were not thinking about a victory.”

Lions defied all predictions in all cases confirmed with this victory that eliminates the Nigerians from this Afrobasket 2013 in Côte d’Ivoire.

A recall that Senegal which won its fifth and last continental trophy in 1997 had dominated in the final Nigeria.

Nigeria was running after its first continental trophy. Senegal will face in the semifinals Egypt (Friday) that it defeated in its first outing in this Afrobasket 2013.