Serbia overcame South Sudan 96-85 in their final Group C game on Saturday. Despite placing third, South Sudan did not advance to the quarter-finals, as Greece from Group A secured the final spot on points difference along with Brazil.
“I need an explanation. I’m baffled,” said South Sudan coach Royal Ivey, highlighting the disparity in free throws and fouls between the teams. “My players are giving their all – blood, sweat, and tears. And yet, we only shot six free throws, with just one in the second half.”
“I attempted to speak with the referees, but they refused to engage with me,” Ivey declared. “They gave me a technical foul and said they were concerned about my bench standing up.”
“They focused on me crossing the line instead of officiating the game properly. What does that have to do with the game?” Ivey stated.
“My player goes up for a shot, and they foul him by grabbing his jersey. If you’re going to call fouls, it should be consistent.”
“I usually don’t complain about calls, but tonight it was glaringly obvious, I had to stay calm because they threatened to eject me from the game,” the former NBA player added.
The South Sudan team, known as the “Bright Stars”, reached the Olympics thanks to Luol Deng, a former NBA All-Star and president of the country’s basketball federation.
Deng has called for the inclusion of more African referees, questioning their absence in 2024. “If we’re representing the continent, we should have full representation,” Deng stated.
“If these referees don’t understand our style of play, then what are the World Cup and the Olympics really about? Is it just about European basketball? Are we not allowed to be aggressive?”
He supported Ivey’s view, criticizing the officiating as “deliberate and blatant” because his players couldn’t match the aggressiveness of the Serbians.
“Serbia has a long history in basketball, and their style seems familiar to the referees,” Deng noted. “Whenever our players adopt a similar approach, we’re penalized for every move.”Deng declared.
“I’m not here to make excuses. We will keep working hard, and I guarantee we will come back stronger, However, it was not fair tonight,” he added.