MOÇÂMEDES (Angola) - Angola beat South Sudan 66-64 on Saturday to advance to the 2025 AfroBasket quarterfinals.
It was the hosts' third win in as many games while South Sudan dropped to 1-2 in Group C.
Guinea (2-1) and South Sudan (1-2) finished second and third, respectively in their group and will play the Classification Round for the quarterfinal.
An aggressive defense paid a huge part in Angola's win. Very rarely South Sudan had their shots uncontested.
For the first time in the tournament, South Sudan was held to fewer than 30 points in the first half. They scored 38 and 61 points, respectively, against Guinea and Libya in the first half.
On Saturday, South Sudan went to the halftime break trailing 37-27.
This game was nothing like when South Sudan obliterated Angola 101-78 in the 2023 World Cup.
TURNING POINT: South Sudan started the game with a sense of urgency. They led 7-0 in the first minute of the game, but the hosts responded with a 12-0 run and never trailed again.
Although Angola led by as many as 16 points at one point, South Sudan saved their best for last. They made an incredible comeback, outscoring Angola 22-11 in the final ten minutes, but their earlier deficit proved too difficult to overcome.
South Sudan had one last chance to stun Angola in the final 14 seconds. Coach Luol Deng called a timeout and drew up a play that could have won the game. However, Both Tut Gach missed the three-pointer, sending the packed Welwitschia Mirabilis Arena into a frenzy as Angola prevailed, 66–64.
HERO: At 1.67 meters (5 feet 5 inches), Childe Dundao was the shortest player on the floor, but he was a giant for Angola. With him on the court, the eleven-time African champions appeared energized and dominant. He left his mark by scoring all 12 of his points from behind the arc. He also had a game-high eight assists and led all players with five steals.
STATS DON'T LIE: Angola's physical play forced South Sudan to rely on free throws (21) more than field goals (19). However, South Sudan's 20 turnovers, compared to Angola's 12, hurt them the most.
Nuni Omot was the only South Sudanese player to score in double figures with 12 points.
Aboubacar Gakou led the Angolans in scoring thanks to his 4-for-6 shooting from the floor, including 3-for-4 from deep.
BOTTOM LINE: Angola got off to a shaky start, but a Milton Valente drive to the basket quickly turned things around and sparked their comeback.
There was no way Angola would waste a chance to play their second and final game in front of the passionate Moçâmedes fan base without winning. The locals came out in large numbers, singing and cheering on their heroes from start to finish. Their support was evident on the court, where the Angolans dictated the pace of the game after taking the lead midway through the opening quarter.
Despite facing tremendous adversity, South Sudan's resilience was a testament to their No. 1 position in African basketball.
After their second loss, South Sudan will face Senegal in the Classification Round on Monday to advance to the quarterfinals, while Angola will return to their base in the capital, Luanda, and wait four days for their opponent in the Last Eight.
WHAT THEY SAID: "Credit to Angola. They played a great game and were the better team tonight. We have to be more physical, too. I don't think we matched their energy, but give them credit. We are going to bounce back in the next game." South Sudan small forward Majok Deng.
"We played against the Number One team in Africa and we showed that we have a lot of heart; we showed that we can compete against them. I am happy to go directly to the quarterfinals. South Sudan, Senegal and Guinea will have tough matches in the qualifying round; this is very important for us because one of them will for sure be out." - Angola head coach Pepe Claros.
FIBA