Basketball

South Sudan becomes first African team in history to qualify for FIBA Basketball World Cup

By Olaleye Oluwadamilola

Posted on February 26, 2023

South Sudan has made history by becoming the first African team in basketball to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in their first ever attempt.

Nuni Omot’s led side came up with a man-of-the-match performance to help the Sudanese beat Senegal 83-75 and become the second African team after Cote d’Ivoire to qualify for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup to be held in Indonesia, Japan and Philippines.

It was a breathtaking encounter that saw two desperate teams looking to rewrite history, https://www.theathletic.com.ng/ writes.

While Senegal hoped to boost their chances to return to the World Cup for the third straight time, South Sudan stepped on the floor looking to make history, and history was made.

But Omot, who opened the scoreline with a floater turned out the reason his country denied a defiant Senegalese team.

This looked more like a battle between Nuni Omot and Senegal’s Brancou Badio.

TURNING POINT: South Sudan led by 14 early in the first half, but Senegal regained the lead in the third, leading by as many as 11 points. However, Bul Kuol buried two straight three-pointers that gave South Sudan a 77-67 lead with 2:35 minutes left, and, despite Senegal’s response, the damage was done.

GAME HERO: Omot, who plays for Senegal head coach DeSagana Diop at Westchester Knicks in the G League, was the face of South Sudan’s desperation.

He hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer to help his team close the gap to 63-59 at the end of the third quarter, before adding another eight points in the final ten minutes.

Senegal entered the game with a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over South Sudan dating back to the 2021 AfroBasket, but South Sudan’s high morale to write a new chapter in African basketball history proved too much for Senegal.

They looked so much in control of the game in the third, but Luol Deng and his men weren’t prepared to delay their qualification for the World Cup for a few more days, and they did what they came to Alexandria for.

Story credit: FIBA Basketball official website