Written by: Badr Ahmed

The Cameroonian national team achieved a valuable and surprising victory over their counterpart South Sudan with a score of 78-74, at the conclusion of the third window of the African qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027. This victory confirmed their right to qualify for the second round of the qualifiers and dealt a significant blow to one of the continent's prominent teams in their journey.

The Cameroon national team defies expectations and snatches a valuable victory against South Sudan.

The match, held in the Cameroonian city of Douala, was strong and exciting from the start, as the Cameroonian national team imposed its attacking style early on, and succeeded in ending the first quarter ahead with a score of 24-20, before strengthening its lead in the second quarter, to end the first half with a six-point lead at 44-38.

South Sudan, one of the continent's most prominent representatives in recent years, tried to get back into the game during the second half, benefiting from their speed in offensive transitions and the individual abilities of their players. However, the Cameroonian team maintained its defensive cohesion and succeeded in limiting its opponent's threat before securing the match in the final minutes by four points.

The match showcased a strong personality from the Cameroonian national team, who continued their positive results during the current window, after achieving two consecutive victories over Cape Verde and then Libya, to conclude the first round with a precious win over South Sudan, while the latter suffered their first loss in this window after having opened it with a big win over Libya, confirming that the competition in the group remained open until the last round.

This victory is an extension of Cameroon's superiority over South Sudan in the current qualifiers, after they had previously defeated them 60-56 in the first leg. This match was characterized by strong defense, reflecting the Cameroonian team's ability to deal with one of Africa's strongest teams defensively and tactically.

The result is of great importance in the qualification race, as it gives Cameroon a significant morale boost before the start of the second round of qualifiers, while it serves as a wake-up call for the South Sudan team, which will need to quickly regain its balance to maintain its chances of reaching the World Cup finals.

The African qualifiers for the 2027 World Cup are witnessing strong competition among 16 national teams, vying for spots in the final stage, amidst a significant convergence in technical levels and the desire of many teams to appear on the world stage.