Tunisia hold off Rwanda to end Group C campaign on winning note

Both teams entered their final Group C encounter searching for their first victory after opening the tournament with 0-2 records, adding extra significance to a contest between two sides determined to avoid finishing the preliminary phase without a win.

Tunisia ultimately prevailed to improve to 1-2, while Rwanda fell to 0-3 after their third consecutive defeat.

The North Africans led for the overwhelming majority of the contest, but Rwanda refused to disappear and repeatedly threatened to turn the game around before Tunisia finally protected their advantage down the stretch.

Tunisia set the tone with a strong opening quarter.

They held Rwanda to six points while scoring 16 of their own, establishing a 16-6 advantage after 10 minutes. Their early defensive intensity forced Rwanda into difficult possessions and gave Tunisia the platform they had been missing during their first two Group C outings.

Rwanda, however, produced an emphatic response in the second quarter.

They outscored Tunisia 18-12, briefly taking the lead during the period and reducing the deficit to four points at halftime, with Tunisia ahead 28-24.

That response ensured that the game remained very much alive entering the second half, but Tunisia soon restored control.

Their best offensive stretch arrived in the third quarter, when they poured in 23 points while conceding 18 . The 23-18 run pushed Tunisia's advantage to 51-42 entering the fourth quarter and left Rwanda needing another comeback.

Rwanda won the final period 11-9, but Tunisia had done enough beforehand to protect their advantage and close out the seven-point victory.

The lead tracker illustrated Tunisia's overall control. They led for 38 minutes and nine seconds, compared to only 1:38 for Rwanda, while the game featured three lead changes and was tied once.

Tunisia's largest advantage reached 15 points, while Rwanda never led by more than two. Tunisia also produced the game's longest scoring run at 12-0, compared to Rwanda's best unanswered stretch of nine points.

Idriss Toumi led Tunisia with 16 points, shooting six-of-12 from the field. He connected on three of eight attempts from beyond the arc and also recorded four steals.

Adem Rafrafi and Fedi El Air added 12 points apiece.

Rafrafi combined his scoring with six rebounds and six assists in nearly 38 minutes on the floor, while El Air produced a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, including four offensive boards.

Issameddine Bibabi was another major contributor despite scoring 10 points. He dominated the glass with a game-high 15 rebounds, 13 of them defensive, while adding three steals and two blocks.

Tunisia's interior production proved one of the clearest differences between the teams. They outscored Rwanda 36-22 in the paint and finished with a commanding 49-38 advantage in total rebounds.

Their shooting was also significantly more efficient.

Tunisia converted 25 of 61 attempts from the field for 41 percent, compared with Rwanda's 19-of-66 shooting for 28.8 percent. Tunisia made 52.4 percent of their two-point attempts, while Rwanda converted 46.4 percent.

Neither team had much luck from long range. Tunisia shot 15.8 percent from the arc, while Rwanda managed the same percentage, making six of 38 attempts.

Nevertheless, Rwanda found several ways to remain competitive.

They held a 14-10 advantage in fast-break points and received 18 points from their bench compared with Tunisia's eight. Rwanda also committed only 18 turnovers against Tunisia's 24, although Tunisia still narrowly won the points-off-turnovers battle 18-17.

Plamedi Bizimana Kayira led Rwanda with 11 points, while Mohamed Keita and Hugo Victor Ngabonziza contributed 10 each.

Keita was particularly efficient inside, making four of six field-goal attempts, while Ngabonziza added five rebounds and four assists. Manzi Enzo Kabenga and Joshwa Alvin Muhirwa scored eight points apiece, with Muhirwa also collecting five rebounds.

Rwanda's seven blocks highlighted their defensive resistance, but their shooting struggles and inability to consistently contain Tunisia in the paint ultimately proved too costly.

The result brought the curtain down on Group C, with Cameroon finishing top at 3-0 and Senegal second at 2-1.

For Tunisia, however, the victory carried importance beyond the final standings. Having entered the game at 0-2, they finally broke through to finish their Group C campaign at 1-2 and restore some confidence after consecutive defeats.

Rwanda's search for a first win continues after they went from 0-2 to 0-3, ending the group phase without a victory despite showing enough fight to keep Tunisia working until the closing stages.

For Tunisia, it was hardly a stroll through Abidjan, but after two defeats,  points were presumably rather low on the shopping list. The important number was one: their first victory of the FIBA U18 AfroBasket 2026.

[Photography/Imagery : Courtesy of FIBA]