Brancou Badio leads Senegal past Angola in 2027 qualifiers

Brancou Badio has restored Senegal’s momentum in the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, delivering the performance that helped the Lions recover from their opening defeat. The captain led Senegal past reigning African champions Angola, keeping the team in contention for qualification after a difficult start to the window.

Senegal prevailed 84-82 in a tightly contested game, with Badio finishing as the team’s leading scorer on 24 points. The guard also contributed four rebounds and seven assists. His outside shooting proved important late in the contest, including a three-pointer in the closing seconds that helped Senegal protect its lead.

The display was a sharp response to his performance against Egypt, when he scored nine points and missed all 12 of his attempts from beyond the arc. Senegal lost that first game 76-67, making the Angola result especially valuable as the Lions seek to build a qualification push from one win and one defeat.

Senegal’s final game of the window is against Mali. Badio’s return to form gives the team’s captain a central role as the Lions try to finish the sequence with another victory.