Neftali Difuidi (Denain) MVP of February in Pro B
March 7, 2025
Lilian Bordron
Saint-Quentin prepares for the future with Neftali Difuidi and Jean-Philippe Dally
Betclic ELITE - As Philippe Da Silva succeeds Julien Mahé on the bench, Saint-Quentin is about to bring back Neftali Difuidi (Denain) and sign Jean-Philippe Dally (Dijon) for next season.
Photo Credit : Antoine Bodelet
While Saint-Quentin hopes to secure a Top 10 spot in Betclic ELITE to qualify for the play-in during the regular season finale, the club is already building its roster for 2025-2026.
Philippe Da Silva, who will take over the team replacing Julien Mahé, should be able to count on two French recruits: Neftali Difuidi and Jean-Philippe Dally. They are expected to sign soon and join two other locally trained players (JFL), Lucas Boucaud (1.88m, 24 years old) and Giovan Oniangue.
Neftali Difuidi, the return
Having an excellent season with Denain, Neftali Difuidi (1.93m, 23 years old) is ready to make the leap to French basketball’s elite. The guard, trained at Boulazac and Orleans, is averaging 14.6 points with 40.3% shooting accuracy, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 26 minutes per game across 36 Pro B matches this season. His dynamic scoring profile and ability to catch fire offensively has impressed SQBB management who aim to strengthen their backcourt.
Stats 2024-2025 / Pro B
PTS
14.6
#11
REB
4.4
#53
AST
1.9
#98
The Dragon won’t be in unfamiliar territory in Aisne. He started his professional career at Pierre-Ratte in 2021/22, on loan from Orleans. The Périgueux native initially struggled to adapt to the professional level (4 points at 30% in 12 minutes per game), but had excellent playoffs, including a peak of 17 points in the return quarter-final against Vichy.
« I greatly enjoyed working with Neftali for a season, » said future ex-coach Julien Mahé to Courrier Picard the following season. « He reflects a lot about the work we can do here. He started very well, with youthful freshness. Then he hit a rough patch but never gave up. By continuing to work and staying receptive, he became one of our best players by season’s end. »
Jean-Philippe Dally seeking revival
Meanwhile, Jean-Philippe Dally (1.99m, 29 years old) is coming off a quiet season with Dijon. Rarely used in Betclic ELITE (2.6 points in 19 games), he contributed slightly more in FIBA Europe Cup with 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10 appearances. The former Le Mans and Orleans player hopes to find more playing time and consistency at Saint-Quentin, in a setting where his versatility at positions 3 and 4 could be better utilized.
Stats 2024-2025 / Betclic ELITE
PTS
2.6
#195
REB
1.3
#188
AST
0.1
#221
Saint-Quentin aims for stability and ambition
With these two first summer targets, SQBB is betting on a mix of explosiveness and experience to begin a new cycle under Philippe Da Silva’s leadership. Meanwhile, Nolan Traoré and teammates will need to finish the regular season strong if they want to make the play-in, as they currently hold 10th place with two games remaining.
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