Senegal | |||
---|---|---|---|
FIBA ranking | 31 | ||
Joined FIBA | 1962 | ||
FIBA zone | FIBA Africa | ||
National federation | Federation Senegalaise de Basketball | ||
Coach | Porfirio Fisac | ||
Nickname(s) | The Lions | ||
Olympic Games | |||
Appearances | 3 | ||
Medals | None | ||
FIBA World Cup | |||
Appearances | 4 | ||
Medals | None | ||
FIBA Africa Championship | |||
Appearances | 27 | ||
Medals |
Gold: 1968, 1972, 1978, 1980, 1997 Silver: 1970, 1974, 1975, 1992, 1995, 2005 Bronze: 1983, 1989, 1993, 2013 |
||
Uniforms | |||
|
The Senegalese national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represent Senegal in international competition. Over the years, the national team has included several players who have competed in the U.S. National Basketball Association, including former Charlotte Bobcats center DeSagana Diop and current Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng, and is considered to be, along with those of Nigeria and Angola, a top African side.
The team is a five time a gold medallist (in 1968, 1972, 1978, 1980, and 1997), a six time silver medallist, and a four time bronze medallist at the FIBA Africa Championship. Senegal was the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament.
With its historic qualification for the 1968 Summer Olympics, Team Senegal gained international attention for the first time. The following years were marked by an at times, dominating performance on the African continent. Senegal has had many world-elite basketball players, especially at the center position, which helped the team to compete at many major international tournaments. At times, however, the team was overly dependent on its NBA-players. An example was in the mid-2000s, when it struggled with injuries. Having finished as the runner-up to Angola in the 2005 FIBA Africa Championship, Senegal qualified for play in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, where the squad finished last in Group D and twenty-second amongst the twenty-four sides to have contested the championship, having lost to the United States, Italy, Slovenia, China, and Puerto Rico.