A team of 14 players has been summoned by Coach Mandy Juruni during a press conference this morning at Kati Kati lugogo as the Federation of Uganda Basketball Associations (FUBA) President Nasser Sserunjogi launched the World Cup Campaign.
Eight locally based players have been summoned and these are; Ivan Muhwezi, Peter Obleng, Fayed Baale, Jimmy Enabu, Tonny Drilleba, Titus Odeke, James Okello, Ben Komakech.
The foreign-based players; Deng Geu, Mohamed Ghedi Abdihakim, Eric Rwahire, Robinson Odoch Opong, Womala Emmanuel Timothy, Brandon Davies.
The team will start nonresidential training sessions this Friday, 12 November at Africa Bible University in Lubowa before the final 12 is named. The sessions will be handled by Mandy Juruni, assisted by Andrew Tendo.
Ishmail Wainright, who plays in the NBA has been left out of squad because of his busy schedule. Wainright recently signed a two-way deal to join Phoenix Suns from the Toronto Raptors.
The Silverbacks will kick off the qualifiers against Mali on November 26, and then Cape Verde and Nigeria on November 27 and 28 respectively in Group A.
The first window of the qualifiers – a three-day tournament, will take place in the Angolan city of Benguela with eight teams from Groups A and C vying for six places in the decisive Second Round of the African Qualifiers.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 African Qualifiers will be played over the course of 15 months (November 2021, February 2022, July 2022, August 2022 and February 2023) to define the continent’s five representatives in Indonesia, Japan and Philippines.