Rwanda have been drawn in Group C of the 2026 FIBA Africa Men's U18 Basketball Championship, scheduled to take place from August 5 to 16 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The Junior Hoopers will face Cameroon, Tunisia and Senegal in what promises to be a highly competitive group. Rwanda booked their place at the continental showpiece after winning the 2026 FIBA U18 Africa Zone V Championship in Cairo. They defeated hosts Egypt 62-58 in the final on March 29 to lift the regional title. ALSO READ: Basketball: Rwanda U-18 team crowned Zone V champions Meanwhile, fellow Zone V finalists Egypt were drawn into Group A alongside hosts Côte d'Ivoire, Chad and Nigeria, while Group B comprises Mali, Madagascar, Gabon and Morocco. The finalists of the biennial tournament will qualify to represent Africa at the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup in Czechia. Competition format The preliminary round will be played in a single round-robin format, with each team playing three group-stage matches. The winners of each group will be ranked first to third based on the number of wins and, if necessary, points difference. The second-placed teams will then be ranked fourth to sixth using the same criteria. The two best third-placed teams across the three groups will complete the quarter-final lineup, with the top eight teams advancing to the knockout stage. The remaining four teams will contest classification matches for positions 9 to 12. The four quarter-final winners will progress to the semi-finals, while the defeated teams will compete for positions 5 to 8. The winners of the semi-finals will meet in the championship game, with the losing semi-finalists contesting the third-place playoff. Both the bronze-medal match and the final will be played on the tournament's closing day, August 16.
