LUANDA (Angola) – Senegal were made to sweat for their AfroBasket 78-65 quarterfinals victory over South Sudan at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda on Monday night.
Senegal and South Sudan, the two tallest nations on the continent and in the tournament, gave fans a matchup for the ages.
With a spot in the final eight at stake, fans expected the Lions of Teranga and the Bright Stars to give it their all.
Instead, Senegal, backed by a small group of fans, grabbed the game by the scruff with stifling defense and fluid attacks in the first half.
Team captain Brancou Badio’s game-high 31 points ensured Senegal’s title aspirations remained intact.
Ibrahima Faye’s 12 points and eight rebounds and Jean Jacques Boissy’s 10 points and seven rebounds kept the Lions of Teranga on the offensive.
South Sudan was led in scoring by Both Gach with 14 points. Captain Nuni Omot scored 13 points and Majok Deng scored 10.
Neither team could find their rhythm early in the second quarter, managing seven points between them (four to Senegal and three to South Sudan). The West Africans were up 25-21 with 6:01 minutes played.
TURNING POINT: Coach DeSagana Diop’s substitutions worked wonders for Senegal.
Ibou Badji’s two-pointer started a 7-0 run for Senegal. Boissy sped down the court, assisting Ibrahima Faye with an alley-oop dunk.
Coach Luol Deng called for a timeout, but it did little to stop Senegal’s momentum.
Another slam dunk, this time from Moustapha Faye, and a Boissy free throw made it an 11-point game (32-21).
Senegal raced to a 12-0 run, closing the quarter 46-25.
HERO: Ibou Badji scored nine points and went to war in the paint for his country, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking two shots.
STATS DON’T LIE: South Sudan head coach Luol Deng later admitted that his team lost the game in the first half when they trailed by as many as 25 points.
Kendale McCullum scored the opening baskets through two free throws for their only lead of the game, but Brancou Badio responded with a three-pointer to put Senegal in the lead. Senegal never trailed again.
Fast break points were key for Senegal, who outscored South Sudan 32–19 in that category. The Senegalese team was aggressive in the paint, scoring 17 second-chance points compared to South Sudan’s 10.
BOTTOM LINE: Senegal’s strong start set them up for victory, regardless of South Sudan’s efforts.
As they struggled to find the smooth offense of earlier quarters, Senegal would have welcomed the end of the third quarter.
Omot added eight points and McCallum added four. Meanwhile, Gach and Deng powered South Sudan to outscore Senegal 29-16 with eight and three points, respectively.
The Bright Stars cut Senegal’s lead to eight points (62–54) going into the fourth quarter. However, the Lions regained the initiative and secured a 13-point victory.
They can now rest and prepare for the West African derby against Nigeria.
This loss marks the end of South Sudan’s 2025 AfroBasket journey.
WHAT THEY SAID: “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 Deng.
“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.
FIBA