Central African Republic U18 W vs Uganda U18 W

The second quarter decided everything. After a sluggish first quarter and a slow start to the second, Uganda's full-court pressure overwhelmed the Central African Republic's backcourt. The 22 turnovers in those 10 minutes — more than one every 30 seconds — turned a six-point lead into a 27-point blowout at the break. CAR had no answer for the intensity and never recovered.

Rose Musundi was named Player of the Match for Uganda. She recorded 22 points, 13 steals, 8 assists and 5 rebounds — a stat line that reflects her all-court impact on both ends.

Melissa Taliba matched Musundi's scoring output with 22 points of her own, adding 13 rebounds and 7 steals for a double-double. The team captain proved instrumental in the second-quarter surge.

Vanessa Grace Nakalembe came within a whisker of a triple-double: 13 steals, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 8 points. Her defensive disruption in the second quarter was a major factor in Uganda's 16–0 run.

Mary Hazel Ssengedo contributed 16 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 assists off the bench.

For the Central African Republic, Elisa Inés Demele Mandougbou led her side with 11 points (game efficiency rating).

Uganda's 43-point winning margin was built on defence and volume. They shot 34% from the field (39.5% on two-pointers) compared to CAR's 26% (29% on twos), but the real gap came in possession. Uganda forced 22 turnovers in the second quarter alone — and a tournament-high total across the game — leading to 25 points off turnovers.

The free-throw line tells a different story: Uganda attempted 56 free throws but converted only 30 (53.6%), missing 26. That 46.4% miss rate is a glaring weakness head coach can ill afford in the knockout phase, especially after a similar problem emerged in the 80–44 loss to Côte d'Ivoire. CAR shot 36.4% from the stripe.

The Central African Republic shot just 15.4% from three-point range (2-of-13) and managed only 43 total points — the second-lowest output in the tournament after their opening-day 102–13 loss to the hosts.

Uganda finished second in Group A with a 2–1 record — wins against Kenya (84–57) and Central African Republic, with the sole loss to hosts and group winners Côte d'Ivoire (80–44). The Junior Gazelles advanced to the quarter-finals on 12 August 2026, ranked 4–6 in the seeding due to their points differential.

The Central African Republic exited the group stage without a win (0–3), having lost 102–13 to Côte d'Ivoire and 76–40 to Kenya before this defeat. They moved into the classification round for 9th–12th place.

Uganda did exactly what a quarter-final contender should do against an outmatched opponent — win decisively and build momentum. The 43-point margin, the forced turnovers, and four players posting near-double-double or better numbers all point to a team peaking at the right time. The free-throw shooting (53.6%) is a red flag that could cost them in a tight knockout game, but few teams in this tournament can match Uganda's defensive pressure when it clicks.