In one of the most bizarre finishes in recent international basketball memory, Cameroon’s Amadou Seini unintentionally etched his name into under-19 World Cup infamy by dunking the ball into his own basket.
The moment, which stunned everyone inside Cooly Arena in Lausanne, Switzerland, helped ignite a dramatic Australian comeback as the Emus clawed back from a six-point deficit in the final minute of regulation to eventually win 101–96 in double overtime.
Cameroon dunked on the wrong basket in crunch time against Australia.#FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/OzVlInWcLR
— Can Peker Pekcan (@canpekerpekcan) June 29, 2025
With just 48.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Cameroon leading 80–74, Seini received a baseline inbounds pass following an Australian basket. What happened next left both fans and teammates in stunned silence. In what can only be described as a catastrophic brain fade, Seini gathered the ball, turned toward his own hoop, and slammed home a powerful dunk into Australia’s basket.
The bucket, credited to Australia, instantly cut the deficit to four. The Australians seized the lifeline with full force. After a defensive stop, Jacob Furphy found Alex Dickeson, who hit a cold-blooded three with just seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. The comeback was complete.
Though the initial shock of Seini’s self-dunk dominated headlines, it was Australia’s relentless resilience that ultimately won them the game. Dash Daniels, younger brother of Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, hit two clutch three-pointers in overtime, while Roman Siulepa bullied his way inside for key buckets.
Both finished with 22 points, with Siulepa adding 13 rebounds. Dickeson contributed 12 points, including the game-tying three, and Furphy added 18.
This win was not just miraculous, it was vital. After falling to the USA by 15 points in their tournament opener, Australia needed to defeat Cameroon to keep their hopes alive in the brutal Group D, which also includes France. Without Seini’s blunder, it’s very possible Australia would have exited before the knockout rounds.
Ironically, outside of that fateful moment, Seini was arguably the best player on the floor. He finished with 15 points and a jaw-dropping 25 rebounds, tying the U19 World Cup single-game record previously held by Andrew Bogut. His interior presence had been key in helping Cameroon erase a double-digit deficit earlier in the second half and take control in the fourth quarter.
But in sports, moments define memory. And Seini’s split-second lapse is likely to be replayed for years, joining a small but infamous club of own-basket blunders that includes Joe Young’s accidental tip-in for Kentucky in 2013.
Cameroon’s collapse was particularly painful given how well they had positioned themselves. Franck Belbi poured in 29 points, Gedeon Basson added 24, and Seini dominated the glass. But with momentum gone and emotions spiraling, they couldn’t recover in either overtime session.
The Emus now head into their final group game against France with confidence and perhaps a touch of guilt, knowing they were granted a second chance at life in the tournament. As for Seini, his overall performance deserves respect, but the headline will be cruel: a thunderous dunk, in the wrong direction, that changed everything.
