Juruni remains optimistic despite Silverbacks' defeat to Rwanda in friendly

Silverbacks friendlies

Uganda 83 Rwanda 89

Uganda v South Sudan (Cancelled)

Saturday
Uganda v Rwanda

The Uganda Silverbacks head coach Mandy Juruni remains optimistic despite his side's 89-83 defeat to Rwanda in their opening international friendly game as part of the preparations for the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.

Uganda lost the game on Wednesday after a poor second quarter allowed Rwanda to open an 18-point halftime lead.

Despite the defeat, Juruni praised his players for their fighting spirit and believes the performance offered many positives.

"It was good to see the boys compete. There were so many good things that we did in the game. Obviously, there are some mistakes that we made, but as a whole, we played four quarters and lost one. So many lessons again," Juruni said.

The Silverbacks struggled defensively in the second quarter, conceding 36 points as Rwanda took a commanding 56-38 lead into the break.

However, Uganda responded strongly after halftime, tightening up in defence and improving offensively to cut the gap to just three points during the final stages of the game.

Juruni said the team's second-half display showed the progress they are making.

"One thing that really stood out for me was the second-half offence and the defence that we played. We brought the game to three points, four points. So there were a lot of good things that I saw during that spell," he said.

Meanwhile, Uganda's planned international friendly against South Sudan has been cancelled after the visiting side failed to assemble a full squad.

"Unfortunately, we can't play the South Sudan friendly game because most of their players are not yet here, so they had to cancel that friendly game," Juruni explained.

Instead, the Silverbacks will face Rwanda again on Saturday, giving the technical team another opportunity to assess the squad ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

"Our next friendly game will be on Saturday against Rwanda again. Looking forward to that, I want to see the progress that we are going to make between the previous game and the next game," Juruni added.

Uganda's preparations have also received a boost with Marvin Musiime joining the team on Thursday, while star player Devine Sibande is expected to report to camp on Sunday. The additions are expected to strengthen the Silverbacks as they continue building towards the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers.

Uganda sits bottom of Group D after losses to Mali, Angola, and Egypt in the first qualifying window earlier this year.

The Silverbacks hope to build confidence from the friendlies as they continue their quest for a place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Doha, Qatar.

Sixteen nations are competing for five places at the tournament, with the top three teams from each group progressing to the second round. All first-round results are carried forward, making every remaining game crucial in the race for qualification.