Tunisia vs South Sudan

Tunisia pulled within a single possession in the final minutes, with the crowd at the 1,200-capacity Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radès urging them on. But South Sudan’s frontline — among the tallest in the competition — grabbed critical defensive rebounds and forced tough shots on the other end. The Bright Stars held firm over the closing stretch to deny the hosts a dramatic comeback.

South Sudan’s collective size proved the decisive factor. While no individual box-score leaders are available from official sources at the time of writing, the Bright Stars’ rebounding dominance (48.8 per game in the qualifiers, second only to Senegal) and second-chance points were the statistical story of the game.

Omar Abada anchored Tunisia’s offence in what may have been one of the veteran guard’s final opportunities on home soil in a qualifying campaign. He entered the window as the African Qualifiers’ all-time leading scorer.

South Sudan’s team averages paint a clear picture of how this game was won. The Bright Stars out-rebound their opponents by 8.0 boards per game (48.8 to 40.8) across the qualifiers and shoot 52.6% from two-point range — seven percentage points better than Tunisia (45.6%). Their three-point shooting (27.9%) is marginally lower than Tunisia’s (28.8%), but their interior size means they rarely rely on the perimeter game.

Tunisia’s steals defence (they rank third in the qualifiers) kept them competitive, but they could not generate enough transition opportunities to offset South Sudan’s edge in the paint and on the glass.

South Sudan are now 2-0 in the second round alongside Cameroon, with both teams level atop Group E. The Bright Stars have positioned themselves strongly for a return to the World Cup after their historic debut in 2023. The top two finishers in Group E qualify for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.

Tunisia (1-2 in this window) face an uphill battle. They return home having lost to both Cameroon and South Sudan, with only a narrow win over Cape Verde to show from the window. Their next qualifying fixtures are scheduled for the fifth window (dates TBC by FIBA).

South Sudan’s next qualifier will also come in the fifth window of the African Qualifiers.

South Sudan’s size, depth and growing experience at this level make them a formidable opponent in Group E. This was a professional road win against a Tunisia side that never stopped competing. The Bright Stars have the look of a team that believes it belongs on the world stage, and the numbers back that up.