FIBA U18 AfroBasket: Egypt overpower Nigeria 95-68 to open Group A campaign in style

Egypt's Junior Pharaohs sent an early message to the rest of the field on the opening day of the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket inside the Palais Des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan as they took control from the opening tip and never looked back in a comprehensive 95-68 win over Nigeria's Junior D'Tigers in Group A.

Rami Magdy led all scorers with 18 points for Egypt, spearheading a balanced and controlled offensive performance as he added 5 rebounds. He was ably supported by the most efficient Egyptian player, Seifalla Ahmed who registered 16 points and 7 rebounds. For Nigeria, Victor Emeka Nwafor was the most productive player as he finished with 16 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in a losing effort.

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Egypt set the tone immediately, winning the first quarter 32-23 and never trailing for a single second thereafter as they led for 39 minutes and 55 seconds of the 40-minute contest, with zero lead changes across the entire game. An 8-0 run underlined their control, while Nigeria's best answer was a 7-0 burst of their own that was never enough to swing momentum in their favour.

The second quarter followed a similar script, Egypt edging it 24-20 to carry a healthy cushion into the break. Any hope of a Nigerian fightback was extinguished in the third, as Egypt pulled away decisively, outscoring their opponents 23-12 to balloon the lead out to as much as 30 points. A quieter fourth quarter, won 16-13, did nothing to change the complexion of the result.

Egypt's efficiency told the story of the game. They shot 47% from the field overall, including a sharp 59.7% on two-point attempts, and were nearly clinical from the free-throw line at 66.7%. Nigeria, by contrast, struggled to find any consistency as the fact that they only had 7 registered players for the tie and it means they could not rely on the bench for any sort of positive impact, managing just 34% from the field and 37% on twos, though they matched Egypt from beyond the arc (23.1% to Egypt's 23.3%) and were actually the better free-throw shooting side at 67.9%.

The result extends Egypt's dominance in this age-group fixture and keeps alive their bid for a record-breaking seventh U18 AfroBasket title. For Nigeria, It's a rough start for the side that came into this tournament with real belief having swept through Zone 3 qualifying tournament unbeaten and were hoping to end a title drought stretching back to 2006. 

Neither side has time to sit with the result. Nigeria face Chad next on August 7 knowing a response is needed to keep their group-stage hopes alive, before closing out against hosts Côte d'Ivoire on August 9 while Egypt, buoyed by the opening day win, will look to build on it as they push toward the knockout rounds.

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[Images - FIBA Media]