Team Profile: Olympic Heroes with a Point to Prove - Despite being without NCAA star Khaman Maluach and Euroleague talents Wenyen Gabriel and Marial Shayok, South Sudan, Africa’s youngest nation, aims to silence doubters in Group A of the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers, led by BAL MVPs Omot and Acuil.
Last Updated on
November 22, 2024
South Sudan is Africa's youngest nation, gaining independence in 2011, but they have been pushing boundaries and breaking records. In just a year, the country's basketball team has qualified for the FIBA World Cup and the Paris Olympics.
They became the first African team to qualify for the FIBA World Cup in their first attempt. Booking a ticket to Angola in 2025 will be another milestone for the South Sudanese.
Although this is not the final team, coach Luol Deng will announce the final 12 before Friday. The former NBA player and African legend, to whom much of the credit is due for the emergence of this team, will look to guide this team past some very tough oppositions in Group A.
They will face DR Congo, Mali and Morocco. These are difficult fixtures for the world number 23, and Coach Deng is preparing to be without the young phenom, Khaman Maluach, who is in season with Duke University in America.
There is a high possibility that they will be without former NBA player Wenyen Gabriel, who also finds himself in the midst of the Euroleague season with Maccabi Tel Aviv. He was recently reunited with his countryman, Marial Shayok, who joined the Euroleague team. Consequently, both could be ruled out for the qualifiers.
Despite these blows to their teams, they still have a respectable roster. They have the last two Basketball Africa League (BAL) MVPs, Nuni Omot and Lual Lual Acuil. Omot was the first African to win this award when he won the BAL with Al Ahly in 2023. He was stellar, scoring 22 points in the finals against AS Douanes. This propelled him to new heights, as he signed up with the Chinese team Taichung Suns and is now playing Beijing Ducks in the CBA.
The trailblazer will also be remembered as the first South Sudanese to register a point in the Olympics when he did so against Puerto Rico in Paris this past summer. The team will look to his experience and leadership during these qualifiers. He is known as a bucket-getter and a nightmare for his defenders because of his versatility, ability to get to the rack quickly, and ability to shoot the ball at a high rate.
Alongside Omot will be the 2024 BAL MVP and Defensive player, Lual Lual Acuil. Acuil will also be looked to when this team needs a stop or a bucket. Acuil, who won these awards despite his team (Al Ahly, Tripoli) succumbing to Petro de Luanda in the finals, became the first MVP not to win a championship.
The 6’11 forward played at Baylor University for 3 years before playing in Israel, Australia, Lebanon, China and Libya. He has collected many individual awards apart from the ones mentioned above. The NBL champion was the sixth man of the NBL, named to the All-NBL first and second teams and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team, among many other accolades. He will relish this opportunity to represent his national team, as he missed out on the FIBA World Cup and the Paris Olympics.
This iteration of the South Sudan national team will be looking to open their qualifiers on a strong note against Morocco. They will also face the DR Congo, who they defeated 101-58 last year, but this time, they understand this time round, it will take a lot of work.
Confirmed Roster: Nuni Omot, Nyang Wek, Dhieu Abwok Deing, Deng Angok Yak Deng, Junior Madut, Lat Nai Mayen Nai, Kouat Noi, Kuany Atem Kuany, Jackson Makoi, Akuel Marko Kot, Kur Nyok Kuath,
[Photography / Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
