Rwanda’s under-18 women’s basketball team suffered a heavy 80-39 defeat to hosts Egypt in their final group-stage match of the FIBA Africa Zone 5 Championship in Cairo but still advanced to the semifinals, where they will face Kenya.
The Zone 5 tournament serves as the regional qualifier for the FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket.
Coach Munyaneza Joseline’s side found it difficult to contain an Egyptian team that completed the group stage with three wins from three matches to finish top of the standings.
Despite Rwanda’s defeat, Atete Laissa Ndaruhutse delivered an impressive individual performance, recording a game-high 20 points, two rebounds, eight steals and three blocks.
Rwanda ended the group stage in second place with four points after one win and two defeats. Kenya finished third on the same number of points, while Tanzania placed fourth.
Under the competition format, all four teams progress to the semifinals, with the top-ranked side facing the fourth-placed team and the second-placed team meeting the third.
Rwanda will now take on Kenya in the semifinals, while unbeaten Egypt will face Tanzania. Both fixtures are scheduled for Tuesday, with the winners advancing to the final.
The tournament features four teams competing in a single round-robin format before the knockout stage determines the regional champion and qualification places.
Meanwhile, Rwanda’s under-18 men’s team is also competing in Cairo in the Zone 5 qualifiers.
The boys’ competition features six teams divided into two groups, with Rwanda drawn alongside Egypt and Tanzania. Rwanda opened its campaign with an emphatic 86-57 victory over Tanzania before facing Egypt in its second group-stage match.
