Silverbacks take relief in abject losses

Silverbacks stand-in coach Andrew Tendo tried his best to answer questions directed at him in the post-game press conference on Saturday.

Uganda had just lost to Corte d’Ivoire 89-44 after using just six players, with the other three unable to play due to a kit mix up that had the team leave the country with unnumbered jerseys and missing numbers.

Jimmy Enabu, Fayed Baale and Rogers Dauna missed the game because they didn't have the right jerseys.

The Silverbacks had only arrived in Luanda Friday morning after uncertainty surrounded the trip the whole of last week.

Fuba had on Thursday written to Fiba pulling out of the final phase of the qualifiers after failing to secure funding from National Council of Sports.

The international body then chipped in to provide air tickets for 12 people to ensure the team gets to Angola and completes the journey it started in November 2021.

“Without going into details, it was not the best,” Tendo told the media after he was asked whether the lack of proper training was responsible for the beatings.

What Tendo did not reveal is the fact that the team did not have any preparations at all, and had travelled with no single coin from the government.

In fact, he was not just the stand-in coach, he was the Leader of Delegation as well because the team travelled with no management officials.

“We are here now, which is important, to honour and we shall give it 100%,” he added.

Forfeiting the fixtures would have attracted a ban and a fine from Fiba. It would also have tainted the image of the team and country as a whole.

Nowhere to hide

Once the games started, the Silverbacks just couldn't keep up with any of the three opponents.

They were blown away Angola in the third quarter after a mini-contest in the first half and totally dominated by Corte d’Ivoire.

The clash with Guinea brought together two of the teams with the worst records in the qualifiers.

And it was a full-to-complement Guinea that ran away with the victory, demolishing the Silverbacks by 41 points to emphasize the terrible state of the team.

Titus Lual and Ceaser Kizito scored 12 and 10 points respectively as the Silverbacks signed out with yet another heavy defeat.

Uganda will be grateful that all the drama now comes to an end.

The biggest win for the Silverbacks was actually making the trip despite the ugly scores.