RADES (Tunisia) - On Friday, a small but rowdy group of South Sudanese fans tirelessly cheered on their heroes. When victory seemed inevitable, they chanted in unison for 100 points.
"We want 100! We want 100!" they sang. When Lok Wur scored a lay-up that gave South Sudan a 100–73 lead, they switched to singing, "We want 200!"
Meanwhile, on the court, Makur Maker inspired his teammates to secure a 109–79 victory over Cape Verde.
The Bright Stars of South Sudan became the first team to score 100 points or more in the 2027 World Cup African Qualifiers, improving their record to 2–0 with one game left in the first round of Group A.
Maker was superb, shooting the ball exceptionally well. He shot 6-for-6, including a perfect 5-for-5 from deep, and finished the game as the top scorer with 23 points.
Both teams took to the court on the back of their previous day's wins, but right after Cape Verde took their only lead of 5–0, South Sudan adjusted their defence and offence to put on a basketball masterclass.
South Sudan's seven three-pointers in the opening quarter ended any hopes of Cape Verde fighting back. Cape Verde switched to a zone defence, but South Sudan remained undaunted as they continued to dominate.
Eventually, South Sudan finished with a 14-for-27 shooting from behind the arc.
South Sudan scored the most points by any team in the African Qualifiers by halftime, leading 64–37.
"Credit to South Sudan; they deserved the win. My team wasn't at its full capacity and they played better than us," Cape Verde head coach Emanuel Trovoada admitted.
Reflecting on Makur Maker's performance, South Sudan coach Luol Deng said: "Makur is very versatile, which is a real asset to the team. I am definitely not surprised, as I have seen him perform in practice and in games. For us, it's just about figuring out the best way to utilise his skills. He is very skilled and always tries to execute what we ask of him — that's a key part of his game."
He continued:"Offensively, I thought we were getting good looks. The way the guys were sharing the ball, I could tell we were going to have a good day on offence. They were really committed to finding one another."
Both Tut Gach came out with a number of flashy offensive plays and finished with 21 points, shooting 8 for 15. His teammate Deng Adel also scored 21 points.
"It was a collective effort. We came into the game with the intention of attacking,' Maker said.
Maker, who made his debut for South Sudan in the opening match of the 2027 African Qualifiers, went on to reflect on his experience of playing for the Bright Stars. He said: "It's something I wanted to do, to keep playing basketball during this window. But it's an honour. Our people did a lot for the country. Any time I get to represent South Sudan is special."
The difference between the two teams was evident in their rotations, with South Sudan's bench outscoring Cape Verde's 36–15.
South Sudan will take on Cameroon next, while Cape Verde will face Libya.
FIBA