MOÇÂMEDES (Angola) - Guinea pulled off the first upset of the 2025 AfroBasket, stunning South Sudan 88-80.
Mamadi Diakite, the 2021 NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks, caused South Sudan all sorts of problems. Joining Diakite was EuroLeague star Alpha Diallo, who led all players in scoring with 28 points.
Guinea's remarkable win is a testament to their recent success and creates more uncertainty for the rest of Group C, which is taking place in Moçâmedes in the Angolan province of Namibe.
After narrowly defeating Angola in the qualifiers and falling to the reigning champions, Tunisia, by one point, Guinea's victory over the No. 1 team in Africa sends a clear message about their intentions in the tournament.
Known for their aggressive defense and meticulous offensive game plan, South Sudan found themselves in unfamiliar territory against a Guinea team that never let up.
The last time South Sudan allowed more than 80 points against an African opposition was at the 2021 AfroBasket, when they lost to Senegal 104–75.
TURNING POINT: It was a hectic start to the game. Tidjan Keita opened the scoring with two free throws, then fouled Jo Lual Acuil, who missed both of his free throws. Souleyman Boum Jr. sliced through the South Sudanese defense and passed to Sekou Sylla, who scored under the basket to give Guinea an early lead.
However, the Guineans and the South Sudanese traded blows for a while until Diallo came off the bench and steered Guinea to a remarkable win.
By the time Guinea had a 15-point lead in the third quarter, it seemed as if the game were over—and technically, it was. South Sudan's only resistance came in the form of five lead changes in the opening five minutes.
HERO: Alpha Diallo, Mamadi Diakite, and Souleyman Boum Jr. were Guinea's capeless heroes. Each time South Sudan narrowed the gap, Diallo, Diakite, and Boum Jr. responded with lethal shots from all corners of the floor.
Diakite shot 6-for-6 in 19 minutes on the floor, including 4-for-4 from deep, and finished with 16 points. However, it was Diallo's precise shots and three steals that hurt South Sudan the most.
STATS DON'T LIE: Guinea's prowess in three-point shooting was the main reason South Sudan looked helpless for most of the forty minutes.
Despite Coach Luol Deng's defensive adjustments, bench rotations, and attempts to slow Guinea down, South Sudan couldn't handle Guinea's offense.
Guinea shot 14-for-28 from behind the arc, and South Sudan's six turnovers in the third quarter played a defining role in Guinea's shocking opening day win at the 2025 AfroBasket tournament.
BOTTOM LINE: Guinea never looked like a team ranked 11th in Africa and 75th in the world.
The way they controlled the game and dominated South Sudan, the number one team in Africa, came as a surprise to some, but was expected by those who had seen Guinea beat Angola and lose to Tunisia at the buzzer during the qualifiers.
Head coach Nedeljko Asceric emphasized what makes this team special, noting that their win over South Sudan was due to their cohesion, togetherness, and desire to compete.
Whatever the outcome of AfroBasket, this is an astonishing result for Guinea.
THEY SAID: "We had to be aggressors going to the game. We can't come in too relaxed; They came out with the energy; they made a lot of three-point shots. We just need to do better; be the hunters instead being hunted." - South Sudan small forward, Nuni Omot.
"It was an important win for us to set the tone against a really tough opponent in South Sudan; They played really well; kept us on our heels; coach drew us a few plays and we got a lot of defensive stops; Some of out young guys came in and brought us some energy. it was an overall team contribution." - Guinea guard Alpha Diallo.
FIBA