(MOÇÂMEDES) – South Sudan suffered an unexpected 88–80 defeat to Guinea in their opening match of the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket, played on Tuesday at the Pavilhao Multiusos Welwitschia Mirabilis in Moçâmedes, Angola.
Coming into the tournament as one of the favourites, South Sudan looked unsettled from the start, despite taking an early lead midway through the first quarter. Their preferred fast paced, space oriented and precision shooting style failed to click, allowing Guinea to stay in contention.
From trailing 17–11, Guinea went on a decisive 9–0 run, with all points coming from beyond the three point line. They seized the lead and held it for the remainder of the match. South Sudan, at one stage, found themselves 15 points behind midway through the third quarter and were unable to complete a comeback.
Guinea’s victory was led by EuroLeague star Alpha Diallo of AS Monaco, who scored a game high 28 points, consistently hitting key shots to stop South Sudan’s rallies. He was supported by Mamadi Diakite, the former NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks now playing for Valley Suns in the NBA G League, who contributed 16 points. Souleyman Boum Jr. added 14 points and nine assists, orchestrating Guinea’s offence with precision.
South Sudan’s defensive struggles at the perimeter were costly, as they allowed Guinea to convert 15 three pointers. On the offensive side, the Bright Stars were inefficient from distance, making just 5 of their 21 attempts.
Forward Nuni Omot delivered a perfect shooting performance, scoring 27 points to lead South Sudan.
“They [Guinea] came out with the energy. They made a lot of three point shots,” Omot admitted after the game. “We just need to do better, be the hunters instead of being hunted.”
Point guard Kendale McCullum added 16 points, while centre Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
| Top Performers – South Sudan vs Guinea | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuni Omot (SSD) | 27 | 5 | 2 |
| Kendale McCullum (SSD) | 16 | 3 | 4 |
| Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (SSD) | 14 | 10 | 1 |
| Alpha Diallo (GUI) | 28 | 7 | 3 |
| Mamadi Diakite (GUI) | 16 | 6 | 1 |
| Souleyman Boum Jr. (GUI) | 14 | 4 | 9 |
South Sudan will have an opportunity to recover when they face Libya on Thursday. Guinea will also return to action the same day, taking on hosts Angola, who began their campaign with a dominant 85–53 win over Libya.
For South Sudan, who have been building a growing basketball profile both on the continent and internationally, the next match will be crucial in keeping their title ambitions alive.
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