South Sudan earned an Olympic berth after defeating Angola 101-78 in the FIBA World Cup. The team went 3-2 in the tournament, becoming the highest-ranked World Cup team from Africa.
“It’s an unbelievable story. It’s an underdog story that, not just for the South Sudanese, not just for Africa, but for the rest of the world. It’s a feel-good story that majority of people can relate to. It’s such a unique achievement because it’s beyond basketball,” said Luol Deng, who took over the program three years ago.
South Sudan are coached by Rockets assistant Royal Ivey.
Japan also qualified for next summer’s Olympics after defeating Cape Verde 80-71. The team was lead by Joshua Hawkinson’s 29 points.
Japan finished with a 3-2 record over the tournament and was the highest-ranked Asian team in the World Cup.
