The local based Silverbacks (Uganda men’s national basketball team) contingent is in Cairo, Egypt for a residential camp ahead of their upcoming Afrobasket qualifiers match(es) against Morocco and Cape Verde (if necessary) slated for next month.
The five local based players reached Cairo in the morning hours of Wednesday, 30th June and they linked up with the seven foreign based players who were already there by then.
The team was initially meant to have a 10-day camp in Cairo starting last week but financial constraints became a damper and derailed the team’s plans.
After the camp in Cairo, Silverbacks are expected to travel to Rabat on July 5th for a game against Morocco on July 8th. If Silverbacks win they will automatically qualify for the Afrobasket finals, but if not they will play Cape Verde on 15th July and if triumphant they will qualify for the said finals.
However, if Silverbacks lose all their Group E games, it will then go down to goal difference with Morocco needing a +8 win over Uganda while Cape Verde need a +6 win to come atop Uganda. Egypt is already qualified for the finals but the top three teams from each group and a wildcard will form the 16 teams that will qualify for Afrobasket finals.
The event proper, FIBA AfroBasket is scheduled to be held in Kigali, Rwanda from August 24 to September 5 2021.
Silverbacks Afrobasket Qualifiers Team:
Jimmy Enabu (City Oilers), James Okello (City Oilers), Tonny Drileba (City Oilers), Benjamin Komakech (City Oilers), Titus Odeke (UCU Canons), Ronson Odoch Opong (Canada), Eric Rwahwire (Canada), Keiran Zziwa (Canada), Ghedi Muhamed (USA), Geu Dengeu John (Denmark), Ishmail Wainright (France) and Arthur Kaluma (USA).
Coaches:
George Galanopoulos, Mandy Juruni, Michael Schmitz and Andrew Tendo Senyondwa.
