Thursday, November 27 Group C Rwanda 70-82 Guinea Rwanda opened their campaign for a place at the 2027 FIBA Men’s World Cup on a slow pace, falling 82–70 to Guinea on Thursday in the first round of qualifiers held at Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radés in Tunisia. The game started evenly, with both teams closing the first quarter tied at 18–18. However, Rwanda struggled in the second quarter as Guinea took control, dominating 26–12 to open a 14-point lead heading into halftime. Guinea maintained their edge after the break, narrowly winning the third quarter 18–17. Rwanda attempted a late comeback, taking the fourth quarter 23–20, but the deficit proved too large to overturn. “We lost focus in the second quarter and, since, the players could not make any defence. There is still a lot to adjust,” Rwanda head coach Yves Murenzi said after the match. “Now we are going to do our best to get a win in the second game.” Small forward Dieudonné Ndizeye and Steven Hagumintwari led Rwanda’s scoring with 18 points each, while David Joseph McCormack posted 15 points and 14 rebounds. Rwanda will return to action on Saturday, November 29, again at Salle Multidisciplinaire de Radés, as they seek their first win of the qualifiers when they take on hosts Tunisia.
