Tunisia U18 vs Rwanda U18

The third quarter proved decisive. After Rwanda had battled back from a 10-point first-quarter deficit to within four by halftime, Tunisia responded immediately after the break. A 12-0 scoring run — the game's longest — stretched the lead and rebuilt the cushion that Rwanda could not fully erode in the fourth quarter.

Idriss Toumi was the Player of the Match for Tunisia, finishing with a team-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including three of eight from beyond the arc. He also recorded four steals and led all players in efficiency rating (17).

Fedi El Air posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, including four offensive boards. Adem Rafrafi contributed 12 points, six rebounds and six assists in nearly 38 minutes on the floor. Issameddine Bibabi dominated the glass with a game-high 15 rebounds (13 defensive), adding 10 points, three steals and two blocks.

For Rwanda, Plamedi Bizimana Kayira led the scoring with 11 points. Mohamed Keita added 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and Hugo Victor Ngabonziza chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. Manzi Enzo Kabenga and Joshwa Alvin Muhirwa each scored eight points.

Tunisia's 41% field-goal shooting was far from efficient, but it dwarfed Rwanda's 28.8% (19-of-66). The disparity was sharpest inside the arc: Tunisia shot 52.4% on two-point attempts against Rwanda's 46.4%. Both teams struggled from long range, each converting just 15.8% of three-point attempts (Tunisia 3-of-19, Rwanda 6-of-38).

The most significant gap came in the paint (Tunisia 36-22) and on the boards (Tunisia 49-38), where Bibabi's 15 rebounds were decisive. Rwanda found competitive edges elsewhere — a 14-10 fast-break advantage, 18 bench points to Tunisia's eight, and seven blocked shots — but their poor shooting and inability to contain Tunisia inside proved too costly.

Tunisia finished Group C at 1-2, avoiding a winless campaign and restoring some confidence after consecutive defeats. Cameroon topped the group at 3-0, with Senegal second at 2-1.

Rwanda ended the group phase at 0-3, a sharp comedown after they had stunned hosts Egypt in the Zone 5 qualifier final in Cairo less than two weeks earlier, as noted in FIBA's group-phase review.

Tunisia later won the Classification 5-6 game (70-68 against Egypt), while Rwanda competed in the Classification 9-12 bracket.

This was a game between two winless sides, and it played out that way: scrappy, low-scoring, and defined by the team that defended better in the half-court. Tunisia's early surge and third-quarter response were enough to hold off a spirited but offensively limited Rwanda side. For Tunisia, the win provided a platform for a strong finish to the tournament; for Rwanda, the tournament exposed the gap between Zone 5 qualification and the continental stage.