Rwanda’s U-18 men’s basketball team suffered its second consecutive defeat at the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket after losing 76-58 to Cameroon on Saturday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The loss leaves Rwanda still searching for its first victory in Group C, having also been beaten by Senegal in its opening game.
Cameroon took control from the start, racing into a 28-12 lead in the opening quarter. Rwanda responded in the second period, outscoring Cameroon 10-8, but went into halftime trailing 36-22.
The third quarter proved decisive as Cameroon regained its momentum and scored 28 points against Rwanda’s 17, extending the gap to 25 points heading into the final period.
Rwanda showed resilience in the fourth quarter, winning it 19-12, but the late fightback was not enough to overturn the deficit as Cameroon held on for a 76-58 victory.
Plamedie Kayira Bizimana led Rwanda’s scoring with 21 points, while Hugo Ngabonziza added 12. They were the only two Rwandan players to reach double figures.
Cameroon, meanwhile, was led by James Minlend, who scored 29 points to help his side maintain a perfect record after two games.
Rwanda will now face Tunisia in its final Group C game on Monday, August 10, needing a positive result to strengthen its chances of advancing to the quarter-finals.
The top three teams in each group advance to the knockout stage.
