Cameroon began their campaign with a gritty 53-41 victory over Tunisia in a defensive battle at the Palais des Sports de Treichville. James Minlend led with 14 points, while Ronnny Ewanke and Daryl Baya added double-doubles. Cameroon’s defensive discipline and decisive fourth-quarter run secured a hard-earned opening win.
Last Updated on
August 7, 2026
Cameroon opened their campaign with a hard-fought 53-41 victory over Tunisia in a game where defense dominated from the opening tip at the Palais des Sports de Treichville.
Neither team found an easy route to the basket during the early stages. The opening five minutes produced just six points, underlining the offensive struggles on both sides. Cameroon, however, gradually found openings and made the most of their limited opportunities, knocking down two three-pointers to build a commanding 15-2 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The defensive intensity remained high in the second period. Cameroon continued to protect the paint effectively, making it difficult for Tunisia to generate quality looks close to the basket. Tunisia did have opportunities from the free-throw line but failed to capitalize, converting just three of their ten attempts during the first half.
Despite those struggles, Tunisia showed enough resilience to prevent the game from slipping completely away. Point guard Adem Rafrafi provided an important spark with his creativity and ability to create scoring opportunities, while Idriss Toumi gave the Tunisian offense a boost after coming off the bench. Their contributions helped Tunisia stay within striking distance as Cameroon carried a 27-15 advantage into halftime.
If the first half was a defensive struggle, the third quarter took that intensity to another level. Both teams tightened their defensive schemes, closing passing lanes and contesting virtually every shot. Easy baskets were almost impossible to find, with Cameroon and Tunisia combining for only 14 points throughout the entire period.
Cameroon head coach Kevin Ngwese acknowledged that his team’s offensive performance remained a work in progress despite the positive result.
We had difficulties offensively, and there are still many things we need to work on. This is our first game, What you saw in the first half and the third quarter is not really our style of play. It was only towards the end of the fourth quarter that we started moving the ball better.
Said the Cameroon technician.
The Cameroonians eventually found greater offensive rhythm when it mattered most. Tunisia managed to reduce the deficit to fewer than ten points with just over seven minutes remaining, creating a brief opening for a potential comeback.
That opportunity disappeared almost immediately.
Cameroon responded with a decisive 7-0 run, restoring control of the contest and effectively putting the result beyond Tunisia’s reach. The Central Africans managed the closing minutes well to secure a 12-point victory and begin their competition on a winning note.
James Minlend led Cameroon’s scoring effort with 14 points, while Ronnny Ewanke and Daryl Baya delivered impressive all-around performances. Both players finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, providing Cameroon with valuable production on both ends of the floor.
For Tunisia, Toumi finished as the team’s leading scorer with 13 points, while Rafrafi contributed 12.
Toumi admitted afterward that Tunisia’s performance lacked consistency.
We need to be more aggressive and fix a few small details. We played better for two quarters, but we have to be more consistent.
The final score may suggest a comfortable Cameroon victory, but the contest was anything but straightforward. It was a battle built on defensive discipline, physicality and patience, with Cameroon ultimately doing enough offensively to separate themselves when the decisive moments arrived.
For Ngwese and his players, the victory provides an encouraging starting point, but the coach knows there is still significant room for improvement as the competition progresses.
[Photos and Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]
