Algeria decided to pull out of the competition, citing financial difficulties | Credit | Courtesy

The South Sudan national Basketball team will be in action this afternoon as they battle Nigeria at the AfroBasket qualifiers in Rwanda.

South Sudan, last week replaced Algeria basketball team in Group D of the qualifiers of the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket.

Algeria decided to pull out of the competition, due to financial difficulties caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday, the South Sudan Basketball Federation released a fourteen man squad that will battle the likes of Nigeria, Mali and hosts Rwanda.

The team comprising of mostly foreign-based players is led by team captain Teng Puot who captained the team in Nairobi during the Zonal qualifiers early this year.

Other members on the squad include Bol Bak, Jackson Makoi, Aluk Adub, Athiey Lwal among others.

South Sudan basketball team in October took part in a three-nation FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers Invitational Tournament.

The team’s participation in Invitational Tournament came after they failed to make it through from the pre-qualifiers held in Nairobi in early 2020.

At the Invitational Tournament, South Sudan lost to Cape Verde in their opening game and won against Chad to finish second, missing out on the top spot.

This week, the Federation President Luol Deng said he will coach the senior men’s national team at the tournament that began on Wednesday.

Three groups have converged in the Rwandan capital of Kigali comprised of a total of 12 teams in Group A, B and D while Group E will tussle it out in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria. Group C with Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea played in Yaounde in the February window.

South Sudan’s Full Squad :

Teng Puot, Bol Bak, Jackson Makoi, Aluk Adub, Athiey Lwal, Peter Jok, Nuni Omot, Kuany Kuany, Nyang Wek, Mangistu Jongkor, Mathiang Muo, Mackuei Puondak, Deng Mayot, Deng Acuoth and Akoy Agau.