Rwanda’s RSSB Tigers and BAL Champions are staring down a must-win game on Wednesday, needing a victory over China’s Shanghai Sharks to keep their FIBA Intercontinental Cup hopes alive after a rough opening night in Beijing.
The Tigers, champions of the 2026 Basketball Africa League, tip off against Shanghai at 9:30 a.m. Rwanda time (3:30 p.m. in Beijing), just one day after Lithuania’s Rytas Vilnius handed them a 107-89 defeat in their tournament debut.
It wasn’t a bad start, either, the Rwandan side actually led 19-18 after the first quarter. But Rytas, fresh off winning the Basketball Champions League Europe, found their rhythm from beyond the arc, sinking 16 three-pointers on their way to a 44-39 half-time lead and pulling clear in the second half.
That loss puts the Tigers in a tight spot. Group A is a three-team group, RSSB Tigers, Rytas Vilnius and Shanghai Sharks, with only the top two advancing to the semi-finals. Lose to Shanghai, and Rwanda’s tournament could be over before the group stage even wraps up.
Shanghai won’t be an easy fix, either. The Sharks sat out the opening day, meaning they’ve already had a chance to watch how Rytas dismantled the Tigers’ defence. They arrive in good form too, having gone 38-4 in the CBA regular season before beating Shandong and Beijing in the playoffs and Guangsha 4-1 in the final to claim their second Chinese championship.
Still, a win for the Tigers would even their group record at 1-1 and keep their semi-final hopes alive; though their final group position will also hinge on how Rytas and Shanghai fare against each other on September 24.
Before the tournament began, Tigers captain Antino Jackson had urged Rwandans living in China to get behind the team, noting the squad had already felt a strong Rwandan presence since landing in Beijing. That support may matter more than ever on Wednesday, with the Tigers chasing a result no African or Asian side has ever managed at this tournament, a run to the final under its current six-team format, where the best finish either continent has managed is third place.
For now, the Tigers’ focus is simple: beat Shanghai, and keep the dream alive.
