By Daniel Nyeko
Uganda’s Junior Silverbacks closed their 2025 FIBA U16 Afrobasket campaign in style, beating Tunisia 66-55 on Saturday to secure fifth place at LDK Gymnasium.
The result betters their sixth-place finish at the 2021 edition, marking another step forward for the young side.
Uganda started slowly but held a 9-8 edge after the first quarter, then tightened their defense to stretch the lead to 22-11 at halftime. Shane Nshuti Kwizera sparked the early surge with 13 points, while Pierre Laurent Rwuhiriro opened the scoring with the game’s first basket.
Tunisia fought back after the break, edging the third quarter 16-15 and briefly leading 21-19 in the fourth, but Uganda steadied to close out the win. Evans Rugari Shyaka powered the attack with 24 points, five rebounds and an assist.
Kwizera added 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Rwuhiriro contributed six points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Shammah Kabera Kwizera chipped in five points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
For Tunisia, Adem Rafrafi and Louey Mansour each scored 11 points.
“This is a monumental win for us,” said Uganda head coach Andrew Tendo. “Even though we didn’t reach the semifinals, finishing fifth shows the hard work and dedication of these boys. Our defense was key. We focused on limiting Tunisia’s scoring chances and forcing turnovers, and the players executed perfectly.”
Tunisia coach Mourad Louati congratulated Uganda and admitted his side fell short. “We came here expecting to be in the medal rounds. Our performance against Uganda wasn’t what we are capable of,” he said.
The Junior Silverbacks leave Kigali with their best-ever U16 Afrobasket finish, underlining Uganda’s growing presence in African youth basketball.
