ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - It was a James Minlend show during Cameroon’s second game at the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket as they beat Rwanda 76-58.
Minlend poured in 29 points, thanks to an offensive strategy that made him and other Cameroon guards click.
On the inside, Cameroon played bully ball with Ronny Ewanke, Daryl Baya, and Karl Wabo imposing their size on the inside while creating room for Minlend, Nolan Ngangmeni, David Wenga and Felix Deumi (12 points) to get some open shots from outside the arc.
“All we can retain is the victory. We dominated the game, but not as we wanted. I'm happy with what we did on offense, but there was a bit of relaxation in defense. That’s why they scored more than fifty points,” head coach Kevin Ngwese said.
On the defensive side of the ball, Cameroon kept it tight on the inside, especially in the first half, allowing Rwanda to pass and operate around the perimeter. However, Ngwese did not like what he saw in the second half as Rwanda started to find their way around the basket.
“You know, there are many things to work on again. We don’t want leakage if we are to go further in the competition.
Plamedie Kayira and Hugo Ngabonziza led Rwanda.
They were the only Rwandans to score in double figures, finishing with 21 and 12 points, respectively.
Cameroon came out with a sense of urgency, leading by as many as 29 points and never trailing.
While Cameroon remains undefeated after two games, Rwanda has yet to win.
With the victory, Cameroon improved to 2-0 in Group C and have their quarterfinal place punched with a game to come against Senegal on Monday, August 10.
FIBA