South Sudan is slowly but surely progressing towards the top of the African basketball scene. The team is equal to or even dominates big guns like Tunisia, double African champion in title. The "Bright Stars" develop the best basketball of the continent with all the ingredients: physical, tactical and skill. They also put on a show. Many observers see them dominating men's basketball in the years to come.
The South Sudanese team played its first international friendly match on 10 July 2021 against Uganda in Juba. They lost (69-73), the day before the country's independence celebrations. South Sudan is engaged in the qualifiers for the Afrobasket 2021. Former NBA player, Luol Deng is the coach and president of the Federation.
In November 2020, the South Sudanese team entered the Afrobasket 2021 qualifiers. It finished 2nd in group D with 9 pts (3 wins and as many losses). Nigeria (12 pts) had finished first in the group. In less than a year of existence, the band Kuany Ngor Kuany qualifies for its first Afrobasket. It is historic for this East African country.
1st phase of the qualifiers successful
To prepare for the Afrobasket, Luol Deng had chosen Rwanda as the base camp for his team. He will appoint Royal Ivey, assistant coach of the Knicks, to lead the team. South Sudan will be in Group D with Senegal, Cameroon and Uganda. They went 2 for 3 and finished in 2nd place. Senegal is the only team to have beaten the South Sudanese team (104-75), in the last group match. Nevertheless, they qualified for the quarter-finals in their first appearance. The South Sudanese will be eliminated by Tunisia, winner of the competition ahead of Côte d'Ivoire. They finished 5th out of 16 teams, not a bad record for a first time.
South Sudan will be in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers six months later. They are in Group B with Tunisia, Cameroon and Rwanda. The team flew through windows 2 and 3, winning all 6 matches. They beat Tunisia in the first and second leg with an aggressive, American style of play. The South Sudanese are adept at shooting, especially from 3-point range. The team is carried by a hard core: Nuni Omot (wing), Kuany Ngor Kuany (strong wing), Deng Acuoth (pivot), Padiet Wang (point guard), Mayan Keer Kiir (strong wing-pivot), among other players...
The future of African basketball
South Sudan is ranked 7th in terms of points scored in the first 3 FIBA windows. It has put up 429 pts (71, 5 points per game). The team is 12th in rebounds (243) and 9th in assists (81). With 12 points, Luol Deng's team is in pole position to qualify for the World Cup. But it will have to succeed in the 4th and 5th windows of the qualifiers against Senegal, DR Congo and Egypt. In any case, South Sudan is well on its way to being among the best teams in men's basketball.
Questioned on this subject, the assistant coach of the Senegalese national team, Mamadou Guèye said: "I can not say if South Sudan will dominate African basketball in the coming years, but they are well on their way. They have a good sports policy. You can see that the team is progressing with each campaign. They manage to keep their group and gradually graft young players. We will have to rely on them in the future. This does not mean that we have to kill the other teams who are in the process of rebuilding themselves. In short, the South Sudanese have a physical game and are skillful. The team is young and improving. And they manage to get the best players.
The Deng philosophy
On his Instagram account, Luol Deng shows what makes the South Sudanese team so strong. He reveals his philosophy and goals for the future. "Hard work, dedication, camaraderie, joy, etc. This is who we are before the lights come on. Instead of the win at all costs approach, we sought to build a champion mentality that translates well into the competition, which it did. Instead of focusing solely on our destination, we focus on the process and the journey. We hold each other accountable every day to be better, not just on the court but off the court as well, while savoring the undeniable blessing of being able to bring a nation together through the game of basketball. We appreciate everyone's support and we will continue to do our best. Doing our best, together. Your support for the national team shows everyone what is in our hearts, and that is to see our country turn around and become an inspiring symbol of unity and prosperity. Together we can. We are giants reaching for the stars," he wrote.
