Akuel Marko Kot Dang in action during South Sudan’s basketball match against Morocco in Dakar, Senegal, on Friday, November 22, 2024. Courtesy of FIBA.

South Sudan kicked off the 2025 Basketball Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers with a commanding 82-66 victory over Morocco.

South Sudan’s basketball team made an impressive debut in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, defeating Morocco with a commanding 82-66 victory in Dakar, Senegal.

In 1st Quarter Morocco led with 23-20 points while 2nd Quarter: South Sudan regained momentum, ending with a 4-point lead (16-11).

However, in the 3rd Quarter: South Sudan widened the gap significantly with a 28-13 run.

4th Quarter: Morocco narrowly won the final quarter 19-18, but the overall victory belonged to South Sudan.

Nuni Amot shone for South Sudan with 17 points, tying Morocco’s Mohammed Chouro as the game’s highest scorer.

And Deng Angok dominated the boards with 7 rebounds.

Jackson Makoi excelled with 6 assists, 2 steals, and an efficiency rating of 20.

Junior Maut made a defensive impact with 2 blocks.

The qualifiers, running from November 22 to 24, 2024, feature South Sudan, Morocco, Mali, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Morocco replaced Mozambique, which withdrew from the tournament.

South Sudan’s Next Match: The team will face Mali today. Mali is looking to recover after a 64-72 loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening game.

The qualifiers present a pivotal opportunity for South Sudan to secure a spot in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as they continue to showcase their rising potential on the continental stage.

Fans eagerly await the team’s next performance, confident in their ability to make history.

The tournament is played in Dakar, Senegal November 22–24, 2024.

In a press conference after the match, South Sudan coach Luol Deng reflected on the team’s performance, stating: “We started the game slow. Morocco had a lot of energy. They were excited to play. You know, they’re excited to be here. They pushed us, and our guys did a good job of responding. This kind of window is very difficult for preparation and so on.”

He continued: “But we have guys on the team who have been around, and they kind of, you know, took matters into their own hands and got our identity back. The Olympics was a great experience. It was a great accomplishment for South Sudan, for the Federation, and for representing Africa.”

“We learned a lot from it. I think we need to continue pushing and trying to improve. We want to focus on AfroBasket and the task ahead,” he added.

“But overall, I think the recognition, you know, that’s what we want to achieve. The recognition we’ve gotten from the Olympics has been very noticeable, and it helps us in our preparations, knowing that this is how good we can be to reach that level,” he concluded.