(Juba) – South Sudan’s women’s basketball team, the Bright Starlets, has been awarded a wildcard entry to the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket, marking their historic debut in the continental championship set to take place from July 25 to August 3 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The FIBA Regional Office for Africa announced that South Sudan and Guinea were given the final two wildcard slots for the tournament. This decision completes the list of 12 teams competing in this year’s championship.
South Sudan’s women’s team was established in 2021 and has made rapid progress in the sport. The Bright Starlets finished third in the FIBA Africa Zone 5 qualifiers last month, narrowly missing out on direct qualification. Despite only winning one game in the regional qualifiers, the team showed resilience in Cairo, securing three victories, including two against Kenya. However, losses to Uganda and Egypt kept them from automatic qualification.
With this wildcard entry, South Sudan now has a chance to compete against some of Africa’s best basketball teams in their first-ever FIBA Women’s AfroBasket tournament.
Guinea, which previously received wildcard invitations in 2021 and 2023, also joins the tournament along with Egypt and Mozambique, who were awarded wildcards earlier this month.
The 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket will feature 12 teams from across the continent:
Teams Qualified for the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket
| Team | Qualification Method |
|---|---|
| Côte d’Ivoire | Host Nation |
| Nigeria | 2023 Champions |
| Senegal | 2023 Runners-up |
| Mali | 2023 Bronze Medalists |
| Rwanda | 2023 Fourth Place |
| Cameroon | Zone 4 Qualifiers |
| Uganda | Zone 5 Qualifiers |
| Angola | Zone 6 Qualifiers |
| Egypt | Wildcard |
| Mozambique | Wildcard |
| South Sudan | Wildcard |
| Guinea | Wildcard |
South Sudan’s qualification marks another milestone for the country’s basketball development. In recent years, the sport has gained popularity, with the men’s national team qualifying for the 2023 FIBA World Cup and earning a spot in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Despite challenges such as limited training facilities, the Bright Starlets’ inclusion in AfroBasket is seen as a major step forward for women’s sports in the country.
With their participation confirmed, the South Sudanese team is now preparing for the tournament, where they will compete against the best teams in Africa for the first time in history.
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