IF the national team’s performance on Thursday is anything to go by, then there is reason to be optimistic ahead of the upcoming 2009 Fiba Africa Championship for Women in Madagascar.

The team came off 69-65 winners in their first of three-game series against a physical Cameroon side.

And as expect, team captain Honoree Ayebare led from the front, scoring a game high 17 points while center Brown Tatum weighed in with 16 points.

Cameroon, who will be making their sixth appearance in the championship started on top winning the first set 15-18 but Rwanda rallied back winning the second (23-19), third (16-15) and fourth (15-13) quarters to take a 1-0 series lead.

Team fact-file

Angola is still struggling to match their male counterparts who have turned the Afrobasket championship into a home affair. The oil-rich nation won the title back in 1983.

The team were also second runners up in 1981, 1986, 1994 and 2007. With a world ranking of 40, Angola will be a handful for Rwanda.

Mali is the defending champion after edging Senegal 63-56 in the 2007 final. The West Africans were also bronze medalists in 1968.

Surprisingly, the team is only making their third appearance in Madagascar down playing experience as a fundamental in the championship. Ranked 28th in the world, Mali remain strong contenders this year.

Ends