Tunisia stun hosts Rwanda to reach Semi-Finals

KIGALI (FIBA Africa U18 Championship 2016) – Tunisia saw off hosts Rwanda 68-51 to secure a place in the Semi-Finals of the FIBA Africa U18 Championship in front of a fully packed Amahoro National Stadium.

The North Africans started the game on a high with Mohammed Rassil dropping two big three-pointers to amass 10 points while Mohamed Selmi picked an impressive 10 rebounds at the end of the first quarter.

Chester Kayonga dropped three back-to-back three pointers to reignite Rwanda’s chances of getting back into the game however a lapse in concentration saw Tunisia lead 53-47 at the end of the third period.

A consistent run of turnovers half way through the last quarter gave Tunisia the edge combined with a strong zonal defense to firmly place Rwanda on the back foot until the final whistle.

Rassil and Wassef Methani collected 18 and 14 points respectively to inspire Tunisia into a dream place among the elite four.

Egypt had to live it late before picking a hard fought 82-74 win over Algeria in a tense North African derby that lived up to the billing.

Mohammed Boussad scored a game high 21 points but his effort was not enough to save Algeria from the experienced Egypt side who are chasing a fifth continental title.

Angola extended their winning streak to six unbeaten games when they made light work of Cote d’Ivoire 85-47.

As expected Silvio Sousa and Bruno Fernandes were the difference in the game and displayed a rather extraordinary mature approach to the game, one that will come in handy in the business end of the tournament.

Mali booked the fourth ticket into the Semi-Finals with a convincing 85-58 win over debutants DR Congo who despite putting up a strong fight against the West Africans found themselves succumbing to their experience.

Ousmane Traore’s four three pointers were the highlight of the Mali offense in the absence of their head coach Kaba Kante who fell ill and did not make it to the game.

In the classification game for positions 9-12, Gabon saw off the winless Benin 74-57 to book a date with Uganda for the 9-10 places.

The Semi-Finals will be a repeat of the 2014 edition where Angola will face Tunisia and Egypt will be up against Mali.

The tournament serves as qualifiers for the FIBA U19 World Championship 2017 to be held in Cairo, Egypt. If Egypt make it to the Final, then the team that will finish at the third position will qualify for next year's U19 Worlds as Egypt is the host country.

FIBA Africa U18 Championship Day 5 Results

Benin             57 v 74    Gabon
Cote d'Ivoire 47 v 85    Angola
Algeria         74 v 82    Egypt
Tunisia         68 v 51    Rwanda
DR Congo      58 v 85   Mali