FUBA: National teams, youth sides, and NBL playoffs to run concurrently

FUBA chief executive officer Marcus Kwikiriza says Ugandan basketball is heading into a very busy and demanding three-month period, with national teams, youth sides, 3×3 squads, and the National Basketball League (NBL) playoffs all running concurrently.

"We are entering a very busy period for Ugandan basketball across all our programmes. It will test our structure, but it also shows that the game is growing in different directions," Kwikiriza said.

Uganda's men's national basketball team, the Silverbacks, have named a 12-man squad ahead of the upcoming FIBA Africa World Cup Qualifiers, with three debutants included. The new faces are Rezlife Saints guard Edrine Ekau, Marvin Musiime-Kamali of the Akron Zips, and Blessed Phillip Mbogo.

Ekau has earned his call-up after an impressive domestic season, averaging 17.3 points per game to help Rezlife Saints finish third in the National Basketball League regular season. His campaign included key wins over giants City Oilers and Nam Blazers.

FUBA confirmed that the Silverbacks will hold a 10-day residential training camp in Kigali, Rwanda, from Saturday to June 30, before travelling to Luanda, Angola, for the qualifiers scheduled from July 2 to 5. Head coach Mandy Juruni will use the Kigali camp to sharpen tactics and build chemistry ahead of the tough assignment.

"This window demands absolute focus. The ten days in Kigali will be very important for us. We need to sharpen our execution before facing the intensity in Angola," Juruni said.

Uganda currently sits bottom of Group D after losing to Mali, Angola, and Egypt in the first qualifying window earlier this year. Sixteen nations are competing for five places at the FIBA World Cup 2027 in Doha, Qatar, with the top three teams in each group advancing to the second round. All first-round results will be carried forward, making every match important across five qualifying windows. The second round will see teams face opponents from the parallel group over two additional windows in August 2026 and February 2027, with qualification decided after six games per team.

At the same time, Uganda's basketball calendar is stretched across multiple competitions. The women's 3×3 national team has already started its FIBA 3×3 Women's Series campaign in Orléans, France, targeting ranking points for qualification to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The team is led by Jane Asinde, Melissa Akullu, Perus Nyamwenge, Leslie Vorphal, and Jamila Nansikombi, and entered the competition as the eighth seed in a 16-team field. Uganda was drawn in Pool A against strong opposition, including Neftchi SOCAR of Azerbaijan and Mitsubishi Electric of Japan, with only the top teams progressing to the knockout stage.

Uganda's U18 boys and girls national teams are also preparing for the FIBA U18 AfroBasket Zone V Qualifiers, while the U23 men's and women's teams will feature in the FIBA U23 Nations League in Kenya from July 1 to July 7.

Domestically, the NBL playoffs will now start on July 10, to accommodate national team commitments across all levels.

Kwikiriza said managing all levels of competition at once remains difficult but necessary. "We are trying to manage club basketball, youth development, 3×3 competitions, and national team duties at the same time. It is not easy, but it is necessary for the growth of the game," he said.

Silverbacks squad (12-man roster)

Point Guards

Nike Sibande Dejur Jr, Fayed Baale, Edrine Ekau

Shooting Guards:

Marvin Musiime-Kamali, Robinson Odoch Opong, Blessed Phillip Mbogo

Small Forwards:

 Peter Obleng, Deng Geu John, Emmanuel Womala

Forwards/Centres:

 Jonathan Komagum, Titus Lual Odeke, Joel Paul Kayiira