South Sudan has achieved a historic milestone, qualifying for the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket 2025 semifinals in their debut appearance, following a dramatic 69–68 win over Uganda’s Gazelles in the first quarterfinal held on July 31 at the Palais des Sports de Treichville.
Entering the tournament on a wildcard after finishing third in the Zone V qualifiers behind Egypt and Uganda, the Bright Starlets have defied all odds by beating both regional powerhouses on their way to a historic semifinal.
South Sudan🇸🇸 has qualified for the AfroBasket semifinals in their debut appearance!
🇸🇸 made history with a dramatic 69-68 victory over🇺🇬 in the quarterfinals. A tense finish saw Akullu miss two crucial free throws, sealing the win for 🇸🇸
🇸🇸 entered the tournament as a wildcard pic.twitter.com/dIHySdu91K
— Ground Sports (@GroundSports1) July 31, 2025
This semifinal berth also secures them a place in the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.
Despite losing all their group-stage games, South Sudan stunned previously unbeaten Uganda in a thrilling contest that went down to the final seconds.
South Sudan head coach Alberto Carlos Antuna, who coached Uganda at the 2023 AfroBasket in Kigali, showcased his tactical brilliance against his former assistant and current Uganda coach, Nicolas Natuhereza.
After a 75–65 victory over Egypt in the qualification round, South Sudan carried that momentum into the quarterfinal against their neighbors. Antuna’s side dominated the paint and forced Uganda’s key bigs into early foul trouble.
Melissa Akullu and Hope Akello picked up their fourth personal fouls just six minutes into the third quarter, while Jane Asinde fouled out during the crucial moments of the fourth.
Uganda still held the lead in the final minute until Rose Akon drew a foul and calmly sank two free throws to put South Sudan ahead 69–68.
With 18 seconds remaining, Delicia Washington lost possession, and Nyamuoch Pidor Teny committed her fifth foul while trying to stop the play.
This gave Uganda two free throws, but Melissa Akullu, who had been impressive in earlier games, missed both attempts that could have tied or won the game.
The final whistle brought Uganda’s winning streak to an end and denied them a first-ever trip to the semifinals.
The Gazelles head to classification, chasing a finish better than last edition’s 7th place. South Sudan awaits the winner between Mali and Mozambique for the semifinal.
