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German Uganda finish Group Stage in style with 86–43 Rout of Central African Republic
Uganda’s Junior Gazelles closed out the group stage of the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket in emphatic fashion, cruising past the Central African Republic 86–43 on Monday in Abidjan. Having split their opening two games, Uganda entered their final Group A fixture knowing a victory would strengthen their position ahead of the knockout stage. They delivered in convincing fashion, dominating from start to finish.
Uganda took control early, leading 15–8 after the opening quarter before producing a devastating second period. The Junior Gazelles poured in 32 points in the second quarter while holding the Central African Republic to just 12, taking a commanding 47–20 lead into halftime. There was no let-up after the break.
Uganda added another 21 points in the third quarter, restricting their opponents to 14, before closing out the game with an 18–9 final period to complete a 43-point victory. Rose Musundi led the scoring for Uganda with 23 points, while Melissa Taliba also produced an impressive all-round performance with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight steals. Mary Hazel Ssengendo added 16 points and nine rebounds.
The victory caps a strong group-stage campaign for Uganda. After opening with an 84–57 win over Kenya, they suffered an 80–44 defeat to hosts Côte d’Ivoire before bouncing back emphatically against the Central African Republic. Uganda therefore finish second in Group A with a 2–1 record and five points, behind Côte d’Ivoire, who swept the group with three victories. Kenya finished third at 1–2, while the Central African Republic ended the group stage winless.
With the group stage now complete, Uganda advance to the quarter-finals, carrying the confidence of a dominant final group-stage performance as they turn their attention to the knockout rounds.
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