By Seif Shaggy Gracien Hasingizwimana/Kigali,Rwanda,
The Rwanda national under-18 basketball team (U18) secured a qualification ticket to participate in the 2026 African Championship, set to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, after defeating Uganda 70-65 in the semifinals of the AfroBasket U18 Zone V Qualifiers held in Cairo, Egypt.
This match, played on Tuesday, was fiercely contested, but Rwanda maintained a strong performance until the final minute, securing a victory that earned them the right to represent Zone V in AfroBasket U18 2026.
Before reaching the semifinals, Rwanda had started the tournament well by defeating Tanzania 86-57, before losing 80-71 to Egypt in the final group match. This qualified them for the semifinals, where they once again demonstrated impressive form to eliminate Uganda.
Among the standout performers were Hugo Victor NGABONZIZA, who scored 25 points, and Sean Mwesigwa, who added 13 points.
Having secured their spot in the African Championship, Rwanda will now play in the tournament’s final aiming to win the Zone V trophy, with their qualification to represent Zone V in AfroBasket U18 2026 already guaranteed.
