Minlend Leads Cameroon Past Rwanda as U18 Lions Book Quarter-Final Spot

James Minlend delivered a statement performance as Cameroon continued its unbeaten start to the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2026, powering the Central African side to a convincing 76-58 victory over Rwanda in their second Group C game.

Minlend was the headline act, scoring 29 points to produce the highest individual scoring performance of the tournament through its first 12 games. His remarkable outing surpassed the previous record of 28 points, set just a day earlier by Mali’s Mohamed Keita.

‍

‍

From the opening minutes, Minlend looked comfortable within Cameroon’s offensive system. The game plan created opportunities for the guards to attack, move the ball and shoot with confidence, allowing Minlend to gradually take control of the contest.

Cameroon’s dominance was not limited to its backcourt. Inside the paint, Ronny Ewanke, Daryl Baya and Karl Wabo used their physical presence to establish control around the basket. Their work in the interior also created valuable space on the perimeter, giving Minlend, Nolan Ngangmeni, David Wenga and Felix Deumi opportunities to operate from outside.

Deumi added 12 points, contributing to an offensive performance that saw Cameroon maintain control throughout the contest.

The Cameroonians came out with intensity and never allowed Rwanda to take the lead. At one point, they stretched their advantage to 29 points, underlining the difference between the two teams during the decisive stages of the game.

Yet, despite the comfortable margin, Cameroon head coach Kevin Ngwese felt his team could have produced an even more complete performance.

Everything we can take from this game is the victory. We dominated the game, but not in the way we wanted. I am satisfied with what we did offensively, but there was a little relaxation on defense. That is why they scored more than 50 points.”

Defensively, Cameroon was particularly effective during the opening half. The team protected the paint well, making it difficult for Rwanda to generate easy scoring opportunities close to the basket. With the interior largely protected, Rwanda was forced to circulate the ball and rely heavily on its perimeter players.

However, the defensive intensity dropped after halftime, allowing Rwanda to find more solutions closer to the basket. That shift concerned Ngwese, who knows Cameroon will need greater consistency if it hopes to make a deep run in the competition.

There are still many things we need to work on. “We do not want to have such weaknesses if we want to go further in the competition

‍

Rwanda found its offensive leaders in Plamedie Kayira and Hugo Ngabonziza. Kayira finished with 21 points, while Ngabonziza contributed 12, making them the only Rwandan players to reach double figures.

For Rwanda, however, the result leaves the team still searching for its first victory of the tournament. Cameroon, meanwhile, strengthened its position at the top end of Group C with a perfect 2-0 record.

More importantly, the victory secured Cameroon’s place in the quarter-finals with one group game still to play. The Lions will close out the group stage against Senegal on Monday, August 10, with the opportunity to maintain their unbeaten record and build further momentum ahead of the knockout rounds.

‍

For Minlend, the night belonged to him. His 29-point explosion rewrote the tournament’s individual scoring record and helped Cameroon take another important step toward its ultimate objective.

But beyond the numbers, Cameroon’s performance offered a reminder of the team’s depth. With power in the paint, shooting threats on the perimeter and an increasingly confident backcourt, the Lions have emerged as one of the teams to watch as the competition moves toward its decisive stages.

‍

[Photos and Imagery Courtesy of FIBA]

‍