The side beat Zimbabwe 74-67 in the first of two qualifying games in Johannesburg to determine the last team to qualify from the preliminary qualification stage; the remaining two spots will be given to two nations by FIAB Africa as Wild Cards.
The South Africans produced a memorable comeback in the second half after trailing Zimbabwe by as many as 21 points.
34 year old Tsakani Ngobeni was the hero on the night as he converted four of five three point attempts to spark the run.
The veteran player who has been a mainstay in the team since his debut in 2011, could be the main difference between Zimbabwe’s run in the biannual competition or wait for some more years before getting a shot at senior international level.
Defending champions Nigeria is one of 12 teams who will be present in Congo for the Championship.
By Yaw Adjei-Mintah
@YawMintYM on Twitter
