Bright Stars U-18 Photo credit: Courtesy.

South Sudan’s Under-18 national basketball team will today face regional rivals Uganda in the third-place playoff of the FIBA Zone 5 U18 Championship, seeking to end their campaign with a bronze medal.

The South Sudanese team missed out on a place in the final after losing to Egypt in the semi-finals. Despite a strong effort, Egypt proved too strong and advanced to the championship match, leaving South Sudan to compete for third place.

Today’s match is expected to be another competitive East African derby, with both teams looking to recover from their semi-final defeats and finish the tournament on the podium.

Uganda had earlier defeated South Sudan during the group stage, while the South Sudanese side will be hoping to overturn that result and secure a bronze medal finish.

South Sudan’s tournament journey has produced mixed results. The team recorded one victory in the group stage, defeating Kenya, but suffered defeats against Uganda and Egypt, two of the strongest sides in the competition.

Despite the setbacks, the championship has provided valuable exposure for South Sudan’s young players and allowed the technical team to assess emerging talent ahead of future regional and international competitions.

A victory against Uganda would give South Sudan a positive conclusion to the tournament and provide a confidence boost for the developing squad.

The FIBA Zone 5 U18 Championship brings together some of East Africa’s top young basketball talents, with teams competing for regional honors and valuable international experience.