Thursday 

Group B Kenya 66-83 Angola  Mozambique 53-60 Senegal 

Group D Nigeria 76-56 South Sudan  Rwanda 64-70 Mali 

Rwanda started its Group D campaign at the ongoing African Basketball Championship (Afrobasket) qualifiers on a low note after losing 70-64 to Mali on Thursday night at Kigali Arena.

The visitors were overall the better side, with certain moments of fight back and dominance for Rwanda to went into the final quarter with a narrow 53-51 lead.

However, Mali, who had also claimed the opening quarter 21-14, turned the tables in the fourth quarter 19-11 to seal a deserved 70-64 win in the two sides’ first game.

Vladimir Bosjnak’s Rwandan side took the second and third quarters; 22-17 and 17-13, respectively.

Shooting guard Kenneth Gasana led Rwanda with 17 points.

In other games on Thursday, Senegal beat Mozambique 60-53, Nigeria edged South Sudan 76-56, while Angola saw off Kenya 83-66.

Rwanda’s next game will be against D’Tigers of Nigeria on Saturday.