ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) — The 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket began in style on Wednesday with a captivating doubleheader in Group C that set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested tournament.
A nerve-wracking classic between Nigeria and Tunisia was followed by a decisive victory for Cameroon.
By the time the lights dimmed at the Palais des Sports complex in Treichville, two young stars had made their mark on the tournament's early storyline.
Evelinye Toyounon (CAMEROON)
If Cameroon's coaching staff wanted to make an early statement, Eveline Toyounon delivered in emphatic fashion.
The Central Africans dismantled Senegal 61-30, and Toyounon was the driving force behind the demolition from start to finish.
Her final stats: 24 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
The numbers alone don't quite capture it, as Toyounon was a clear mismatch all afternoon. She punished Senegal on the glass at both ends while altering shots at the rim well enough to finish with a tournament-best 26.0 efficiency rating on opening day.
It's the kind of two-way, do-everything performance that has opposing coaches reaching for their whiteboards well before the next meeting.
For a Cameroon team that made it to the semifinals in 2024, Toyounon's ability to dominate in the air against Senegal, a team with genuine ambitions of its own, is an early signal that the Central Africans mean business in Group C again.
Toyounon was thrilled by her performance and credited her teammates, saying the 24 points were hers, but their contribution was invaluable.
She said that beating Senegal was a great gift to the team and noted that she is not done yet as she looks to emerge as the championship’s MVP in the coming days.
Favour Joy Anari (NIGERIA)
In the Group C opener between Nigeria and Tunisia, however, the story was written in a different key entirely.
The Junior D'Tigress needed all their composure to defeat a tenacious Tunisian team, 54-50.
The game lived up to its hype, with nine lead changes and six ties.
The outcome wasn't decided until the final moments.
Amid the tension, Favour Joy Anari repeatedly steadied Nigeria's ship.
Her final numbers - 14 points, 5 assists, and a tournament-leading 6 steals - show a player involved in nearly every phase of the game: orchestrating offense and wreaking havoc defensively on the perimeter.
How Toyounon and Anari rose to the occasion
Two very different games, two different kinds of brilliance.
Toyounon's afternoon was all about individual dominance in a rout - the kind of performance that boosts a title contender's confidence and sends an early message to the rest of Group C.
Anari's afternoon was all about winning ugly - controlling the tempo, creating chaos on defense, and doing the unglamorous work that separates the teams who find a way from the teams who don't.
Both performances capture what makes tournament basketball so compelling: raw talent and competitive grit.
Cameroon and Nigeria will both look to build on their opening performances as the group phase continues, with all eyes on Toyounon and Anari to see if they can keep delivering as the tournament heats up.
FIBA