Uganda Silverbacks unveil revamped squad for 2025 AfroBasket
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The Uganda National Men’s Basketball Team, known as the Silverbacks, has announced a refreshed 12-man squad for the upcoming FIBA AfroBasket 2025, marking the beginning of a new era on the continental stage.
New blood, fresh energy
Leading the wave of new talent is Rugette Tejan Joel, the standout MVP from the FIBA Africa U-18 Zone V qualifiers. His call-up to the senior team is seen as a bold move toward youth development. He’s joined by two other exciting debutants; Lubowa Naseef and Christopher Mubiru.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Mugenga has been drafted in to replace Jacksen Mori, who was unable to secure FIBA clearance in time.
Notable absences
The squad will be missing some key figures. Titus Lawal has been ruled out due to injury, while the experienced Namuwongo Blazers trio Jimmy Enabu, James Okello, and Tonny Drilleba are all absent from the roster. Their omission marks a significant shift in the team’s leadership and experience dynamics.
Only three home-based players have made the final list: Fayed Baale, Ivan Muhwezi, and Joel Kayiira, highlighting the growing dependence on Uganda’s overseas-based talent pool.
Road to AfroBasket
The Silverbacks will depart for South Africa tomorrow (Thursday) for an intensive pre-tournament training camp that runs until August 11. From there, they will head directly to Angola, the host of AfroBasket 2025.
Uganda faces a daunting challenge in Group D, where they will battle African basketball heavyweights Senegal, Mali, and Egypt all former medalists with strong AfroBasket pedigrees.
