Gorgui Dieng led the victory (86-73) over Cape Verde that secured Senegal’s third position at the AfroBasket 2021 held in Kigali, capital of Rwanda.
The current inside of the Atlanta Hawks was the main reference for the Lions with a double-double of 30 points and 12 rebounds. In the aggregate of the tournament, Dieng scored a total of 120 points, which has allowed him to finish the same as the top scorer. In addition, he has been included in the Best Quintet of the competition, of which ex-NBA Edy Tavares is also part.
Senegal has won five gold medals in the history of AfroBasket, the same as Egypt and only surpassed by the eleven players of the Angola national team. However, the last title dates back to 1997 and since 2005 they have not managed to pass the semifinals. The Tunisian team has revalidated the title it won in 2017 after beating Côte d’Ivoire in the final.
Now, Dieng will have a three-week break before joining the training camp of the Hawks, a franchise he signed with last August as soon as free agency started.
(Cover photo by Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)