South Sudan secured their second consecutive win in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, defeating Cape Verde 109–79. Makur Maker showcased excellent long-range shooting, helping the Bright Stars boost their chances of making another historic World Cup appearance.
Last Updated on
November 30, 2025
South Sudan's Bright Stars secured their second straight victory at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 African Qualifiers, silencing Cape Verde 109- 79 in spectacular fashion.
With both sides coming off wins on opening day, the game was expected to be a competitive clash. Still, the Luol Deng-coached squad shut that notion down with a 39-22 opening quarter, ensuring the Islanders had to fight uphill going into the second period.
Makur Maker, the 25-year-old small forward making his debut for the Bright Stars, came out guns blazing, dropping a team-high 23 points in just over 20 minutes, putting no foot wrong as he shot 100 per cent from all corners, leading with a 5-of-5 from range. He added four rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block to lead the charts with 30 in efficiency rating.
He combined with day one top scorer Both Tut Gach and Deng Adel, both starters today, for more than half of the side's points (65), as the duo scored 21 apiece, the latter hitting four from range in six attempts. Kur Kuath and Lok Wur led the Bright Stars on the boards with 10 and eight, respectively.
"We came into this game with an attack mindset and every chance we get we try to hone that, whether it is through watching film or the scout report. From the last game we limited our turnovers and offensive rebounds and we played free and had fun playing basketball," South Sudan's Maker offered.
Cape Verde raced out to a 5-0 start in the opening minutes and continued the run, extending their advantage to 7-3. Back-to-back threes from Anim Delgado and Patrick Lima's saw Deng take a timeout halfway through the opening quarter as his side trailed 14-12, having allowed three treys in five minutes.
The Bright Stars responded with fury following the break, dropping five from deep, Deng Angok Yak Deng contributing two to lead the side to a massive 17-point advantage in the opening quarter. At the end of the game, South Sudan's long-range shooting gave the Islanders a lot of problems, as they converted 51.9% of their attempts.
Cape Verde continued fighting in the opening minutes of the second quarter, but Stars maintained their momentum to take a 23-point lead at 51-28, progressing to a 25-15 quarter to lead by 27 (64-37) at half-time.
Cape Verde fared better in the second half, trading buckets with the Bright Stars in the third quarter. That Deng's pace-and-space squad edged their opponents 23-20, with both sides knocking down three shots from long range.
Although the score was close, Emanuel Trovoada's team trailed by 30 points heading into the final period, making it a tough challenge against a prolific South Sudanese team. The final quarter was tied at 22 points, which further solidified the Stars' reputation in the Qualifiers, especially after their debut in the 2023 World Cup following an 11-1 run in the African Qualifiers.
"I thought we did a good job of sticking to the game plan. We have a group of players who are committed to playing together and sharing the ball and that makes them very difficult to guard.
What's more impressive is that despite training together for a day before the competition, the attention to detail is high level and it speaks to the character of the players. I was worried about our start, but I think the way we did was great," South Sudan head coach Deng said.
"Congratulations to South Sudan, that was a great win. We were not good in the two opening quarters. Our transition defense did not work and our boxing out was wanting too. However, South Sudan's three-point shooting was also too high.
We didn't have much time together as a team and playing a team like South Sudan who are stronger and much quicker was difficult. It is, however, important to note that my team played better in the second half. We dominated perimeter shooting too and that's what I will focus on as we prepare for Libya," Cape Verde head coach Trovoada said.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
