where the South Sudanese national anthem was mistakenly played instead of their own during a basketball match.
The error occurred before South Sudan’s opening men’s basketball game against Puerto Rico, which they won. Spectators booed as the South Sudanese anthem played at the Pierre Mauroy stadium on Sunday.
During a parliamentary session in Juba on Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Semaya K. Kumba expressed disappointment at the blunder, stating that it was “unacceptable” for the South Sudanese national anthem to be played instead of South Sudan’s.
The government has contacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) through its embassy in Paris to seek clarification on how the error occurred and to prevent similar incidents. South Sudan made history on Sunday by becoming the first African team to defeat a non-African opponent at the Olympics, defeating Puerto Rico 90-87 in their Group C game. The team will face the United States on Wednesday, with a potential quarter-final berth at stake.
