Rwanda was in search of their second win to keep qualification hopes alive. They knew it would not be easy against the group leaders in Côte d’Ivoire. It was a one-sided encounter as Côte d’Ivoire was in control from start to finish to claim a 72-47 victory over the host.
Last Updated on
September 10, 2025
Côte d’Ivoire set the tone for the game defensively when they forced Rwanda into a shot clock violation in the very first play of the game. Thereafter, they missed a 3-point shot, but quickly got the offensive rebound before Erené Ouédraogo broke the deadlock with a turnaround jump shot.
The game was scoreless for a little over a minute before Hugo Ngabonziza drew a foul on a 3-point attempt, where he converted 2/3 free throws. Irené Ouédraogo went on a 4-0 run, but that hype was shortly lived as Manzi Kabenga drained a three from a Ngabonziza assist.
The two teams then traded baskets before Côte d’Ivoire went on another run to go up 19-9. Just like Omar Mangassouba, Gabin Namoano-Quintin showed he was locked and loaded as his first contribution off the bench was a drained 3-point shot. His Rwandan counterpart, Manzi Kabenga, immediately matched this effort.
Rwanda began to crawl back in the game, and Elouan Kayihura drained a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left, bringing the game to within 5 points. However, Antoine Konan beat the buzzer with a driving lay-up. The Ivorians took a 24-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Côte d’Ivoire started the quarter with a Minty Oka put-back following a missed lay-up by his teammate. Rwanda remained resolute in finding ways to break the impenetrable Ivorian defense. Hugo Ngabonziza continued to deliver moments of brilliance for the Rwandan side as he continued to penetrate the Ivorian defense. His drive brought Rwanda back to within 4.
However, that was deflated by Gabin Namoano-Quintin, who broke a 2-minute deadlock with a deep 3-point shot. This was followed by an emphatic dunk by Minty Oka and subsequently a 3-pointer by Atche Ezoua to take Côte d’Ivoire up 38-26, the biggest lead of the game so far.
Manzi Kabenga then went on a solo 5-0 run, but it was not enough to deter this Ivorian drive. Minty Oka showed his versatility when he sank a 3-pointer of his own to close the half at 41-31 in favor of the Elephants.
Gabin Namoano-Quintin and Hugo Ngabonziza exchanged 3-pointers early in the third quarter. Despite this impeccable shooting, it was actually a defensive quarter. Many heroic defensive plays led to missed shots and turnovers. The game was at a deadlock for three minutes. The deadlock finally broke when Côte d’Ivoire got a defensive stop that led to a fastbreak dunk for Minty Oka.
Joshua Muhirwa then scored a lay-up for Rwanda. That was Rwanda’s last point of the quarter, with over 6 minutes to play in the quarter remaining. The Ivorians put on a defensive masterclass in this quarter as they limited their opponents to only five points in the quarter. The quarter ended with neither team scoring in the last 2 minutes. However, Côte d’Ivoire enjoyed a 55-36 lead at the end of the quarter.
The last quarter got off to a very slow start with the first point coming from Ladji Konaté on the free-throw line for the Ivorians after a dry spell of two and a half minutes. The Elephants then extended their lead with two more lay-ups thereafter.
It was none other than Hugo Ngabonziza who broke the deadlock for the host with a mid-range jump shot. It was not long before Adama Koné capitalized on the lackluster Rwandan defense for four quick points.
Ivory Coast then pulled away, extending their lead to 70-44. In a last-ditch effort, Mbayiha Mukono drained a 3-pointer for Rwanda to close the gap, but it was too little too late. As Côte d’Ivoire claimed a convincing 72-47 victory over the host.
Despite valiant efforts by Manxi Kabenga (19points and six rebounds) and Hugo Ngabonziza (14 points and nine rebounds), Rwanda could not satisfy their home fans with immediate qualification to the playoffs.
Côte d’Ivoire had some standout performances – notably: Irené Ouédraogo (13 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and three steals), Adama Koné (10 points and eight rebounds) and Minty Oka (15 points and 13 rebounds). The Ivorians end top of Group A and await to see who they will face in the next round.
[Photography Courtesy of FIBA]
