Junior Gazelles finish 6th at FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket in Abidjan
The team ended a tough campaign with mixed results. They were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Egypt, who beat them 80-50.
Junior Gazelles finish 6th at FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket in Abidjan
Uganda's under-18 women's basketball team, the Junior Gazelles, finished 6th at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AfroBasket in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, two places lower than the 4th spot they took in 2024.
The team ended a tough campaign with mixed results. They were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Egypt, who beat them 80-50. That defeat pushed Uganda into the classification bracket, where the best they could finish was 5th.
In the 5th–8th place game on Friday, Uganda bounced back and beat East African rivals Kenya 53-46. It was the second time they had beaten the Kenyans at the tournament, after an earlier 84-57 win.
But the campaign ended badly. In the 5th–6th place final, a tired Ugandan side was crushed 34-81 by a strong and physical Cameroon on Saturday.
Two years ago in South Africa, Uganda finished 4th. The difference this time comes down to a few clear factors.
In 2024, Uganda had one big star in Resty Nanangwe, who averaged 20.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She could take over a match when the team's attack broke down.
In 2026, the scoring was shared. Rose Musundi averaged 16.2 points and Melissa Taliba averaged 12.0 points. Both played well, but the team lacked a player who could carry them through dry spells against the big, physical defences of West and North Africa.
On defence, Grace Nakalembe did her job well with 5.5 steals per game, even better than Modesta Anyango's 5.2 steals in 2024, but she did not get enough help from the other guards.
The 2024 team lost a close 70-63 game to Cameroon in the bronze medal match. The 2026 team lost by 47 points to the same opponent.
Uganda's position in the region is safe. They are clearly the second-best side in FIBA Africa Zone 5, and they proved it by beating Kenya twice.
Mali won the tournament, finishing unbeaten with six wins. They beat Nigeria 77-68 in the final on Sunday. It was Mali's third title in a row, after 2022 and 2024, and their 10th continental crown overall.
Mali and Nigeria both qualified for the 2027 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup in China. Egypt took bronze, and hosts Côte d'Ivoire finished 4th.
Cameroon finished fifth, followed by Uganda in sixth place. Tunisia finished seventh, Kenya eighth, Senegal ninth, Morocco 10th, Benin 11th, and the Central African Republic 12th.
Mali's Maïmouna Traoré was named Most Valuable Player. She was joined in the All-Star Team by teammate Assan Mariko, Hania Hassabelnaby of Egypt, Eveline Toyounon of Cameroon, and Favour Anari of Nigeria.
No Ugandan player made the All-Star Team.
Mali's Conde Keita won the leading scorer and best three-point shooter awards with 20 points per game. Toyounon of Cameroon was the best rebounder with 17 rebounds per game. Benin won the Fair Play Award.
2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AfroBasket Final Standings
Mali - Champions
Nigeria - Runners-up
Egypt - Bronze medal
Côte d’Ivoire - 4th place
Cameroon - 5th place
Uganda - 6th place
Tunisia - 7th place
Kenya - 8th place
Senegal - 9th place
Morocco - 10th place
Benin - 11th place
Central African Republic - 12th place