KIGALI (Rwanda) – Tunisia and Cameroon have both won their second game in Group B, moving a step closer to the quarter-finals of the 2025 FIBA U16 AfroBasket.
On Friday, Tunisia and Cameroon defeated Uganda and Guinea respectively.
Tunisia outclassed Uganda 51-44, while Cameroon demolished Guinea 88-57.
Below is a summary of Friday's events at the Petit Stade in Kigali, Rwanda.
Tunisia stay perfect after two games
A double-double performance by Raslen Saidi boosted Tunisia's chances to reaching the knockout stages.
The 5'11" small forward scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to power his colors against a very combative Uganda.
He shot 5-for-9 from field goals while being nearly perfect with 5-for-6 from the charity stripe as he spent 30’17 on the court.
His teammate Adem Rafrafi also scored in double digiti, finishing with 12 points and adding 3 rebounds to his figures.
“We had a very bad start to the game. We met with a very aggressive defense. It looks like they had prepared the game”, said Saidi.
But while they led all the statistics, scoring 18 points from turnovers and 26 from inside the paint and 25 off fast break points, Tunisia also had 32 turnovers, from which Uganda scored 12 points.
“We made so many mistakes. But we’re going to regroup, watch videos of the games and correct whatever mistakes,” he added.
Uganda led the first quarter 10-9, but Tunisia took the game in their hands from the second quarter with a 16-10 run, which saw them go into half-time with a 25-20 lead.
From then, they didn’t look back, and kept pressing. SO much so they found themselves ahead by 10 points at the end of the third quarter (43-33).
Uganda kept the game alive by outscoring Tunisia 11-8 in the final stanza. But all the efforts availed to nothing as they are now down 0-2.
Cameroon outpace Guinea
Just like Tunisia, Cameroon have remained perfect in the Group Phase.
The Central Africans played as a unit as they achieved 21 assists to see off Guinea, who are now down 0-2.
Four players finished the game with double digits, starting with point guard Nolan Ngangmeni, who scored a game-high 19 points and recording 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Luther Maboula (17 points), Felix Deumi (14 points) and Olivier Ngoumou (12 points) were the other high contributors to Cameroon’s success.
On the other hand, three Guinea players – Alpha Ousmae Traoré (14 points), Massa Pierre Touré and Mohamed Lamine Diaby, with 11 points each – led the Central African nation.
Cameroon were off to a solid start, lead 12-6 just five minutes into the game. By the end of the initial round, they already had a double-digit lead (22-13).
But a 12-3 run at the start of the second quarter saw Guinea level up to 25-25, before Cameroon broke away for the second time of the game.
Heading into half-time with a meagre (3 point) lead, the Indomitable Lions regrouped and finished the third quarter with a 31-18 run.
Guinea still tried to resist, but Cameroon protected their rim, grabbing 10 defensive rebounds in the last stanza.
Their offense was also on point as they thrashed Guinea 24-9 to secure a convincing 88-57 win and make it to the Quarter-Finals.
Reflecting on the game, Ngangmeni said it was not all about the stats. “We tried to bring more energy than against Uganda. We were more attentive to the coach’s instructions and trying to find the right shots.”
Cameroon will face Tunisia for the first place in Group B. And this is a match the young Indomitable Lions are looking forward to.
Ngangmeni added: “We still need to play Tunisia, and we’ll still try to be more aggressive, while also being patient in offense and follow the coach’s instructions. For my part, I will try to bring as much experience as I can and help the team to the best of my abilities.”
FIBA