Team Uganda Management has summoned 12 home-based players to commence preparations for the upcoming FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers that will take place from November 27-29 in Alexandria, Egypt.
“The team that will be handled by Mandy Juruni who will be assisted by Brian Wathum and Andrew Tendo starts training at the Lugogo Indoor Arena on Tuesday, October 6 at 1500hrs,” FUBA press release read on Tuesday.
This will be the first window of the FIBA Afrobasket 2021 Qualifiers with the last and final one set for February 19-21, 2021.
Uganda was drawn in Group E with Egypt, Morocco and a team to be announced after the last Pre-Qualifiers tournament that will take place in Yaounde, Cameroon later this month.
There are five qualifying groups and the top three from each group and a wildcard will form the 16 teams that will qualify for the FIBA Afrobasket 2021 in Rwanda from August 24 to September 5.
Uganda has qualified for and competed at the last two Afrobasket tournaments – Tunisia 2015 and Senegal/Tunisia 2017 and are determined to make it a third straight time.
The Summoned players will work out for over a month until management selects among them a group to join the foreign-based players for a training camp and the event in Alexandria where they will be handled by head coach George Galanopoulos and assisted by Mandy Juruni. The tentative set date for travel to Egypt is November 12 2020.
The Summoned Team
Local-Based Players:
Ben Komakech (City Oilers), Tony Drileba (City Oilers), Fayed Bbale (UCU Canons), Innocent Ochera (JKL Dolphins), Syrus Kiviiri (Nam Blazers), Jimmy Abraham Enabu (City Oilers), Joseph Ikong Anyuru (City Oilers), David Deng Kongor (UCU), Geoffrey Soro (Nam Blazers), James Okello (City Oilers), Stanley Mugerwa (Warriors), Titus Lual Odeke (UCU Canons).
Foreign-Based Players:
Emmanuel Mugenga (France), Samuel Kalwanyi (USA), Ishmail Wainwright (USA), Robinson Opong (Canada), Eric Rwahire (Canada), Deng Geu (Denmark).
The Qualification process:
*Group A – Tunisia, Central Africa Republic, DRC, Zone 6,7
*Group B – Senegal, Angola, Mozambique, Zone 5.
*Group C – Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Zone 4
*Group D – Nigeria, Mali, Rwanda, Zone 1,2
*Group E – Morocco, Egypt, Uganda, Zone 3