Uganda’s hopes of securing a ticket to the continental stage were shattered in dramatic fashion as the Junior Silverbacks, suffered a heart-breaking 65-70 defeat to neighbors Rwanda in the semifinals of the 2026 FIBA U18 Zone V AfroBasket Qualifiers.

This was a rematch of the 2024 finals that was hosted in Uganda and the high-stakes border clash lived up to its billing. With both finalists earning coveted spots at the 2026 FIBA U18 AfroBasket Finals in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the loss leaves Uganda on the outside looking in, while Rwanda celebrates a monumental continental breakthrough.

Match Overview

Uganda entered the knockout stage brimming with confidence after a flawless group campaign in Cairo. That team had dominated Group B, securing victories over South Sudan (52-40) and Kenya (84-50).

On the other hand, Rwanda, had finished second in pool A with a win against Tanzania and a loss against hosts, Egypt. The Rwandese knew what they wanted, to secure the win, and they started the game with urgency catching Uganda off guard.

Rwanda led the game 12-2 early in the first quarter and all looked to be going according to plan for them. However, Uganda got some buckets in the final 5 minutes and by the end of the first quarter, Rwanda led 17-13.

In the second quarter, Hugo Victor Ngabozinza became a problem for Uganda. He scored 13 points in the quarter and helped Rwanda gain a 15-point lead at the halftime break.

The game was close for the most part but in the final 4 minutes, Rwanda’s offense peaked while Uganda’s was not firing. Rwanda outscored Uganda 11-2 to lead the game 38-23 at half time.

Third Quarter comeback

Uganda completely dominated Rwanda in the third quarter which was very surprising. Uganda made a 25-0 run to take a 10-point lead. Everything looked to have been going very well for them. They were efficient from in and out and the defense was rock solid.

During that run, Pierre made 11 points while Shane made 9. However, what Uganda relied upon was the defense. They managed to limit the Rwandese to just 8 field goal attempts while they had 32, which is 4 times the number that Rwanda had. Rwanda was forced into 14 turnovers in the quarter and they looked like they had been beaten.

Crazy fourth quarter climax

The game turned on its head in the fourth quarter. Uganda scored just 1 basket in over 6 minutes in the final period and this allowed Rwanda to come back in the game. The kept closing in and soon took a 3-point lead with just over a minute to play. However, Magezi Nkugwa made a huge 3-point shot to tie the game but drama was still unfolding.

With a couple of second left, Uganda fouled and Rwanda’s Mohamed Keita had a chance to win the game on the free throw line. He missed both and the game was sent into overtime.

In overtime, Uganda kept fouling and Rwanda punished them from the free throw line. Despite that, the game was still very close but Sean Mwesigwa, who had been quiet for most of the game, hit a big three for Rwanda to give them a 4-point lead and secure the victory.

Top Perfromers

Shammah kwizera registered a team high 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. His twin brother Shane Kwizera had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals and 3 assists. Pierre Laurent Rwuhiriro registered another double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Rwanda’s Hugo Victor ngabozinza led in scoring with 25 points while Plamedie Bizimana registered a double-double, 10 points, 20 rebounds and 5 blocks. Sean Mwesigwa scored 13 points including that big 3 that sealed the win for Rwanda.

What next for Uganda

The team will look to dust themselves off and prepare for the third-place playoff. There are plenty of plyers who have shown what they can do and we shall surely see a couple of them repping the seniors team in the near future.