When South Sudan’s young basketball team faced America’s basketball stars in an exhibition game, the expectations were low. However, they amazed everyone by losing by just one point, with a final score of 101-100. The team, who grew up idolizing N.B.A. players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, left their fans in awe with their remarkable performance.
The South Sudanese team will meet the United States again at the Paris Olympics, with the Americans now aware of their skills. Despite being the underdogs, the African team has already achieved a significant milestone by claiming the only slot available to Africa for men’s basketball. Defying all odds, they nearly defeated the Americans, and also secured a victory against Puerto Rico in their first match at the Games in Paris.
“South Sudan and its people are known all over the world now,” said Aninyesi Tereza Mark, a 33-year-old university lecturer in the South Sudanese capital, Juba. “We are very proud of them and we are happy.”
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Since then, it has endured a brutal civil war resulting in the loss of around 400,000 lives and displacing over 4 million people. Despite a fragile peace agreement since 2018, the country still faces challenges of inter-communal violence, poverty, and corruption.
