South Sudan has lost two of their last three meetings with Senegal since the 2021 AfroBasket.

South Sudan’s AfroBasket 2025 campaign came to an end last night after a 78–65 quarterfinal defeat to Senegal in Luanda.

It was the third meeting between the two towering teams since 2021, and once again, Senegal came out on top, claiming two of those three encounters.

South Sudan struggled early and never fully recovered.

Despite a promising start and leading briefly through Kendale McCullum’s early free throws, Senegal’s Brancou Badio quickly turned the tide with a three-pointer, and Senegal never looked back.

By halftime, the Lions of Teranga had taken full control, leading by 21 points after a devastating 12–0 run. South Sudan trailed by as many as 25 points before staging a comeback late in the third quarter.

Both Gach led South Sudan in scoring with 14 points, while captain Nuni Omot added 13 and Majok Deng chipped in 10.

The Bright Stars cut the deficit to just eight points heading into the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to stop a resurgent Senegal.

Senegal’s captain Brancou Badio was the standout performer, dropping 31 points, while Ibou Badji dominated the paint with 13 rebounds, two blocks, and nine points.

South Sudan head coach Luol Deng admitted the game was lost in the first half.

“We lost the game in the first half. I thought the guys we regrouped in the second half and I wish we had played like that the whole game. It’s basketball, it happens. We hate to lose, but we set a really good brand for who we are. All of us, players, staff, we are all disappointed because we hold high standards, but I am very happy for African basketball because the players deserve. The game is getting better, and the players are better. The more teams get better, the more respect we’ll get as a whole,” – South Sudan head coach Luol Den

“We just stayed poised the whole game. it’s a game of momentum, they had their run, but we kept our heads held high, focusing on playing defense.” – Senegal shooting guard Jean Jacques Boissy.

Senegal’s aggressive offense paid off — especially in transition, where they outscored South Sudan 32–19 in fast break points and secured 17 second-chance points to South Sudan’s 10.

The win sends Senegal into the semifinals, where they’ll face Nigeria in a West African derby.

For South Sudan, it’s the end of the road at AfroBasket 2025 — but their fight and rising presence in African basketball continues to earn respect.