Ivory Coast U18 W vs Central African Republic U18 W

The game was decided inside the first quarter. Côte d'Ivoire opened with a 30-0 run, suffocating Central African Republic with relentless full-court pressure and converting turnovers into fast-break points. By the first break, the scoreboard read 26-2.

The second quarter brought no respite. The Ivorians added 28 points while conceding just four, taking a 54-6 lead into half-time. Central African Republic never led at any point — Côte d'Ivoire controlled the game for 39 minutes and 32 seconds, the visitors for zero.

Côte d'Ivoire outscored CAF 26-7 in the third quarter, stretching the lead to 80-13. The hosts then shut out CAF completely in the fourth, scoring 22 unanswered points to seal the 102-13 final score.

The game turned before Central African Republic had time to settle. Côte d'Ivoire's defensive intensity — from the opening tip — forced repeated turnovers, and by the time CAF registered their first basket, Côte d'Ivoire were already in double figures.

"Pressure, pressure, pressure is the name of the game," N'Garsanet told FIBA after the match. "We want to play with a lot of pressure, we want to play fast. This is the start of the tournament, we must find our advantage."

N'Garsanet acknowledged CAF's effort despite the scoreline: "They never gave up, and I appreciate that. I know they had a difficult journey."

Adahe was the standout performer, posting a game-high efficiency rating of 29 with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. She led five Ivorian players in double figures:

• Marlyne Esther Adahe — 20 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast (eff. 29)
• Fatima Diouf — 18 pts
• Francoise Hawa Kaba — 15 pts
• Ramatou Dissa — 12 pts
• Jean Mary Diamande — 11 pts

Verdiane Editha was Central African Republic's leading scorer.

"Ivory Coast is a strong team, and the result is simply disappointing for us," Editha said to FIBA. "Part of the problem is that our country hasn't participated in this competition for a long time. It's a learning curve for us."

Côte d'Ivoire shot 41% from the field against CAF's 9% — the largest gap in any group-phase game of the tournament. From two-point range, CIV hit 49.2% while holding CAF to 9.4%. CAF did not make a single three-pointer (0-for- from deep). The 89-point winning margin is the largest recorded at the 2026 edition.

The boxscore tells a story of systemic defensive pressure, not just poor shooting from CAF: Côte d'Ivoire's 30-0 run reflects a press that forced rushed decisions and transition turnovers, turning defence into instant offence.

The victory launched Côte d'Ivoire's campaign in front of a home crowd at Salle Polyvalente. They followed up by beating Uganda 80-44 on 8 August 2026 to top Group A, advancing to the semi-finals where they faced Nigeria. For Central African Republic, the heavy defeat marked a difficult return to a competition they had not contested for several years — a rebuilding process that Editha described as "a learning curve."

A statement-opening victory from the tournament hosts, who executed their high-pressure game plan to perfection and never relented. For Central African Republic, the margin reflected a significant gap in competitive experience at this level — but as both N'Garsanet and Editha noted, the tournament served a different purpose for each side.