By Rogers Wanambwa
KIU, Main Campus – The Uganda national basketball team, the Silverbacks, have defeated Morocco 77 – 65 in their Afrobasket Qualifier, to book a place at the continental showpiece to be played in Kigali.

The Silverbacks showed their mental prowess by defeating the Moroccans in their own backyard - Rabat - and end their qualification streak, which stretches back to 1999.  

“We are only focusing on one game, for now, not thinking about the next. Almost like we don’t know that there could be another,” team captain Jimmy Enabu said in an interview with the media before the game.

 “The adjustments we’ve made are basic ones that mainly focus on what we have already been doing. So, we are just trying to get better at doing them,” he added.

And they did just that. US-based star Arthur Kaluma topped the scoreboard with 20 points and five rebounds, Ishmail Wainwright scored 11 points, Eric Rwahwire scored 14 and John Deng Geu added 10 points to inspire Uganda to a third appearance at the Afrobasket championship.

Uganda now joins other teams including Rwanda, Nigeria, South Sudan, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Angola, Egypt, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Kenya, and Guinea for the FibaAfrobasket games in Kigali.  

Photo: PML Daily