CAIRO (Egypt) - Egypt and Rwanda are through to the finals of the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket Zone 5 Qualifiers.
Rwanda overcame Uganda 70-65 in an overtime thriller while Egypt powered past debutants South Sudan 77-55 on Tuesday, July 28.
Overtime delight for Rwanda
In a rematch of the 2024 finals in Kampala, the contest between Rwanda and Uganda served all the thrills of a rivalry at Cairo Stadium Indoor Hall 2.
Rwanda dominated the early stages of the game, quickly running to a 12-2 lead but Uganda rallied back to trail 17-13 after the opening ten minutes. Rwanda, mostly through Hugo Victor Ngabozinza who poured in a game-high 25 points, built a 15-point lead by halftime.
Uganda’s defense improved drastically in the third quarter forcing Rwanda into committing 14 turnovers and limited them to just four points. Offensively, Uganda found rhythm, scoring 27 points to assume a 10-point lead.
The drama was far from over as the fourth quarter had more twists and turns. Uganda struggled to score and Rwanda took control of the game but never put it to bed and Gabriel Magezi Nkugwa leveled the score at 59 with a late 3-pointer. At the other end, Mohamed Keita missed a couple of free throws that would have won the game for Rwanda in regulation.
In overtime, the game remained close until Sean Mwesigwa (13 points), who had a relatively quiet game, hit a huge 3-pointer followed by a free throw that gave Rwanda a 67-62 lead and Uganda’s back was broken.
Plamedie Bizimana Kayira (10 points and 20 rebounds) and Calvin Mugisha (6 points and 16 rebounds) were the other top performers for Rwanda.
Brothers Shammah Kwizera and Shane Kwizera led Uganda with 20 and 16 points respectively while center Pierre Laurent Rwuhiriro scored 13 points and had a team high 10 rebounds.
Egypt overwhelm South Sudan
In the other semifinal, Egypt proved too strong for South Sudan in the 21-point victory in front of home fans.
Led by Rami Magdy, who was unstoppable inside and out, Egypt led from start to finish. Magdy exploded for an efficient game high 26 points and picked 10 rebounds.
Kenya finish fifth
In the battle for fifth place, Kenya proved too strong for Tanzania, winning 94-62. It was Kenya's first win in three games, while Tanzania finished their campaign without winning a single game.
Next Up
The qualifiers come to close on Wednesday, July 29. Uganda will play South Sudan for third place before the final between Egypt and Rwanda.
FIBA