Uganda confront Senegal

Bringing Flair. Wainwright had troublesome flight connections but still managed to touchdown in Kigali yesterday ahead of today’s tipoff against Senegal. PHOTO/FUBA MEDIA

What you need to know:

  • The national men’s basketball team, Silverbacks, start their FIBA Afrobasket campaign against Senegal in Kigali, Rwanda today evening.

In  2015, the national men’s basketball team, Silverbacks, took a seat at the table of men in African basketball by appearing at the Fiba Afrobasket Championship in Tunisia.

Unknown and unranked, qualifying alone was a big step in the right direction for Uganda and the team has not looked back since then. 

The national men’s basketball team, Silverbacks, start their FIBA Afrobasket campaign against Senegal in Kigali, Rwanda today evening.

Third campaign
A third campaign at Africa’s premier competition starts with Uganda having had just four days of training but head coach George Galanapoulos is confident of a strong show from his charges.

The tactician has emphasised pace and physicality in all games regardless of what size the Silverbacks will be up against.
“Defensively we have to use our speed a little bit more by applying ball pressure,” Galanapoulos  said ahead of the Senegal clash.

“We have to make sure we are altering what the opponents are doing offensively,” he added.
The team that played two scrimmage games against Central African Republic and Kenya had no Ishmail Wainwright, Arthur Kaluma and Deng Geu.

Wainwright had flight connection delays and only touched down in Kigali early Tuesday morning. He missed the afternoon session but will join the team in a light session today morning and should be ready for action later in the evening. 

Having played four games with the Silverbacks in the qualifiers, the Toronto Raptors forward is expected to fit in well with the rest of the team that only has one new addition in the shape of Adam Seiko. 

Kaluma and Deng have only had two sessions with the team but looked in good shape last evening. 

Shooting buckets
The two, alongside Eric Rwahwire shot the ball well in the last practice at Petit Stade last evening.
Enabu is confident the Silverbacks can make some noise at the tournament this time round. 

“We like pur chances in the group and we are going to compete in every game,” he told this paper ahead of the game.
Senegal are a big team in size and reputation. 

The five-time champions are among the favourites for the tournament and will be expected to be Uganda’s toughest opponent in the Group D.

Players like Gorgui Dieng and American born Pierria Henry will have questions the Silverbacks musf find answers to.
The top teams from the groups will go straight to the quarterfinals while the second and third enter a playoff for slots in the quarters. 

The last team in the group will automatically miss out on the quarters and go home.