ABIDJAN (Cote d'Ivoire) - On Thursday, the first round of games in the group phase of the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket concluded with a Group C doubleheader.
Cameroon overpowered Tunisia, and Senegal dominated Rwanda in a statement game.
Fans at the Palais des Sports de Treichville witnessed two contrasting games: one defense-oriented and the other offense-minded.
Below are the top performers from Thursday’s games.
Ronny Ewanke (Cameroon)
The game between Cameroon and Tunisia was all about defense.
By the middle of the first quarter, it was clear that the game would be a real dogfight, as neither team wanted to give away easy points.
Of all the players, only Ronnie Ewanke took care of his responsibility.
The forward denied Tunisia’s frontcourt easy access to the basket. He couldn’t be bodied in the post and did a good job of disrupting shots.
Ewanke played 35 minutes, which was a sign of trust from the coach to anchor the defense.
His stat line of 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks does not capture everything, but his 6'9" frame was ever-present in the lane. Even when the crafty guards Adem Rafrafi and Fedi El Air beat their men on the drive, Ewanke was there to block their shot.
Bacary Doucoure (Senegal)
When Senegal’s captain, Code Mbengue, sat out in the second quarter, Bacary Doucouré took charge of the paint, running the floor to finish transition and semi-transition plays.
In a game in which the Senegalese played with high intensity in the first half, Doucouré was efficient around the basket and spearheaded the pressure defense that earned the team possessions.
Although scoring was spread out among the team, the center led all scorers with 15 points on 54.5% shooting from the field. He also picked up a team-high eight rebounds and finished with an efficiency rating of 20.
FIBA