Group C Rwanda 60-53 Tunisia Rwanda U18 boys’ team bowed out of the FIBA U18 Afrobasket 2026 group stage after suffering a third consecutive defeat, losing 60-53 to Tunisia in Abidjan on Monday. Rwanda had secured their place in the continental youth tournament after winning the FIBA U18 Zone V qualifiers in Cairo, beating hosts Egypt 62-58 in the final. Tunisia made the stronger start in Monday’s encounter, taking the first quarter 16-6. Rwanda responded strongly in the second quarter, outscoring Tunisia 18-12 to reduce the deficit to 28-24 at halftime. However, Tunisia regained control after the break, winning the third quarter 23-18 before maintaining their advantage with another 23-18 win in the final quarter to seal victory and send Rwanda out of the group stage without a win. Despite Rwanda’s struggles from the floor, Tunisia were led by Idriss Toumi, who scored a team-high 16 points, while Fedi El Air added 12. Plamedie Bizimana led Rwanda with 11 points, while Hugo Victor Ngabonziza contributed 10, but their efforts were not enough to prevent Rwanda from finishing the group stage winless. Tunisia advanced to the semifinals, while Rwanda will now compete in the classification matches for fifth to eighth place.
