Nshobozwabyosenumukiza dribbles past Angolan defence. He was the match hero for Rwanda as he dropped a game-high 22 points.
Rwanda men’s national basketball team have made it through to the semifinals after beating the host team Angola 73-63 in Thursday’s quarter-final match at the 2023 FIBA Afro-CAN.
Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza, William Robeyns, Dieudonne Ndizeye, Cadeau de Dieu Furaha, and Kendall Gray were Yves Murenzi’s team that took the court first at Quilamba Arena in Belas, Angola.
The Rwandan boys were well-prepared for the game and got off to an overwhelming start, dominating the game in the first quarter and winning 23-19.
Murenzi’s side maintained the spirit and team chemistry in the second quarter, scoring 15 points over Angola’s 13 points to take a 38-32 lead into halftime.
Angola’s head coach, Anibal Moreira, gave his players sound advice and encouraged them to enter the second half. They played well in the third quarter and managed to defeat Rwanda 21-13 to take control of the game and move ahead 53-51.
Rwanda put on a show on the court in the fourth quarter, comfortably dominating Moreira’s boys in front of their fans and overcoming them 22-10 to close the gap and win the game at a 73-63 score.
Ntore Habimana was the Rwanda’s second leading scorer, as he sank 14 points.
Nshobozwabyosenumukiza was the match hero for Rwanda as he dropped a game-high 22 points, while also grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out three assists, and stealing the ball six times.
Rwanda’s second leading scorer was Ntore Habimana, who sank 14 points, while Robeyns registered 11 points.
In addition to securing a semifinal spot, Rwanda automatically qualified for the 2025 FIBA Afro-CAN finals. Angola will compete for fifth through eighth place in the tournament’s classification round.
Rwanda will take on Ivory Coast in the Afro-CAN semifinals on Friday, July 14, kick-off at 7 pm Kigali time, while DR Congo will face off against Morocco three hours earlier.
The Murenzi’s boys started the tournament on a disgusting note, losing group-stage games to Tunisia (61-67) and Morocco (58-59), but they recovered to progress to the quarterfinals in a knockout match, where they convincingly defeated Mozambique 73-62.
Emile Galois Kazeneza and Dan Manzi celebrating the much-needed triumph.
