SHEFFIELD (Julio Chitunda’s African Message) - The FIBA Africa U18 Championship 2016 is up and running in Kigali, Rwanda. And the more I watch the competition, the more I believe it’s going to be business as usual for the big four nations.

The 11-team competition (Zimbabwe withdrew just hours before the event started) will run until 31 July.

Home fans continue to show up in big numbers to support their heroes, but Rwanda must play better. 

Three games into the competition, Egypt, Mali, Angola and Tunisia have proven to be realistic title contenders, while Algeria aren't too far off the title race’s conversation. On the other hand, newcomers Uganda, former runners-up Cote d’Ivoire, Benin and Gabon are yet to win a game.

As of Monday 25 July, Egypt and Angola - the only teams to have qualified for the Quarter-Finals - lead the overall table with three wins in as many games each. But Group B’s image should shift when Egypt and Angola faceoff in one of the highly anticipated games of the Preliminary-Round on Wednesday.

A lot is at stake in Kigali

If Egypt - the hosts of next year's FIBA U19 World Championship - can reach the Final, then the Third-Place Game will have a special meaning as it will open the World Championship's door for a third African team.

So, with Egypt playing at such high pace, the Third-Place has never mattered as much.

A lot has happened in Kigali so far, and here are some noticeable facts.

Uganda can't rely on a one-man show

Seventeen-year-old Mathew Ochieng has averaged 17.7 points and 12 rebounds in three games

Uganda's Mathew Ochieng has recorded three double-doubles, but the debutants are yet to win a game.

Although the Ugandans average a tournament-high 41 rebounds per contest, they can’t handle the ball well. And that has proven costly to a team looking to make the most of the Kigali experience. Uganda tend to turn the ball over an abysmal 25 times per game.

Rwanda must play better

Both Jean-Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza and Enoch Kyeyune Kiza represent the Rwandans’ main scoring options, but the hosts need to be a bit more discipline at the offense end. And it becomes more evident when it comes to controling the shot clock.

How far can the Angolans go?

The Southern Africans made a tremendous statement by beating Tunisia in their Group B opener. But the inevitable question is: Can they remain as solid?

The one thing that I like about coach Manuel Silva "Gi" is his rotation tactics. Unlike most of their rivals like Egypt and Tunisia, no Angolan player averages more than 20 minutes per game.

Egypt's three-point shooting

So far, no team has been more accurate from three-point territory than Egypt. The North African are shooting 40 percent from long range, while rivals Tunisia and Angola can only convert 32 percent. If they can continue at such pace, they have reasons to dream of their fourth continental in five editions of the FIBA Africa U18.

The party is just beginning.

Julio Chitunda

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.