2019 FIBA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
February 23-25 in Bamako, Mali
Group B: Uganda, Rwanda, Mali, Nigeria
The national basketball team Silverbacks, will from February 23-25 seek to finish among the top three teams in Group B when the first round of the 2019 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Bamako tipoff.
Uganda is grouped alongside Nigeria, Rwanda and hosts Mali for the initial stage of the qualifiers where the top three teams from each of the four groups qualifies for the next stage in a complex qualifying system.
To reach that goal, the national team selection committee over the weekend summoned a 13-man list of domestic league players that started training ahead of the preliminary round. Betway Power captain Joseph Ikong is among the players that started training on Monday afternoon.
The versatile Ikong who can play as both a guard and small forward is one of the domestic league players retained from the Silverbacks team that featured at the 2017 AfroBasket in Senegal.
The list also includes the City Oilers contingent of Stephen Omony, Jimmy Enabu, Jonah Otim and James Okello as well as Syrus Kiviiri and Jonathan Egau.
There is, however, no place for City Oilers experienced guard Ben Komaketch who was dropped after another indifferent year that coincided with the rise Tony Drileba.
The latter is one of a trio of players who have previously not been part of the national team set up with Derrick Isiko (UCU Canons) Henry Okoth (UPDF) also both making the grade.
Otim is meanwhile a late replacement for Geoffrey Soro who opted out on the team that also includes guard Samuel Mukooza previously based in Sweden but is without a club and previously played for the Silverbacks at the 2015 AfroBasket.
Coaches Mandy Juruni, Brian Wathum and Nicholas Natuhereza will consequently select players that will join the foreign-based crew of Robinson Odoch, Darius Pegues, Stanley Ocitti and Samuel Kalwanyi.
The top three teams from each of the four groups will qualify for the next stage. The three teams from each of the four groups will then merge to form two groups of six each.
As a result the best three teams from Uganda's Group B will be merged with the top three from Group D that consists of Senegal, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and a yet to be filled wild card slot.
The six teams will then face off on home and away basis with the top two in each group earning automatic qualification to the World Cup. The fifth slot will then be decided by which third placed team in the two groups has a better record.
Domestic league players summoned
Stephen Omony (City Oilers), Jimmy Enabu (City Oilers), Tony Drilleba (City Oilers), James Okello (City Oilers), Stanley Mugerwa (Pemba Warriors), Syrus Kiviiri (Pemba Warriors), Mark Opio (Pemba Warriors), Jonah Otim (City Oilers), Derrick Isiko (UCU Canons), Joseph Ikong (Betway Power), Henry Okoth (UPDF Tomahawks), Jonathan Egau (UCU Canons) Samuel Mukooza.
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