Uganda national basketball team the Silverbacks endured a tough start to their 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifying campaign, falling 90–68 to African heavyweights Angola national basketball team in their Group D opener.

Despite the final scoreline, there were flashes of resilience and promise from the Silverbacks, who will look to build on the positives as they prepare for crucial upcoming fixtures.

Uganda found themselves on the back foot from the opening tip-off. Angola raced to a 17–0 lead in the first six minutes, imposing their trademark physicality and defensive pressure. Fayed Bale eventually broke the drought with a three-pointer, but Angola had already established firm control.

The Silverbacks struggled to find rhythm offensively in the first quarter. Deng Geu added a well-worked layup late in the period, yet Uganda managed only 13 points compared to Angola’s 27 by the end of the opening frame.

Turnovers quickly became a major concern. Uganda committed 16 in the first half alone, compared to Angola’s six, allowing the 12-time AfroBasket champions to convert defensive stops into easy transition points. By halftime, Angola had stretched the lead to 47–27.

While the early deficit proved decisive, Uganda showed improved composure after the break. The third quarter saw a more spirited performance, with Deng Geu stepping up strongly in the paint and asserting himself on both ends of the floor.

Although turnovers continued to disrupt momentum, the Silverbacks began matching Angola’s physicality and defensive intensity. The gap widened to 73–46 by the end of the third quarter, but Uganda refused to fold.

The fourth quarter was Uganda’s best spell of the game. The Silverbacks outscored Angola 22–17 in the final period, demonstrating improved ball movement, stronger defensive rotations, and renewed confidence. Contributions from Deng Geu 17pts, Nick Sibande 15pts, Joel Kirya 10pts, and Peter Obleng 9pts highlighted the team’s growing depth and fighting spirit.

Uganda also drew encouragement from their bench production, scoring 24 points from substitutes a sign of the squad’s collective effort and energy.

Angola entered the contest as reigning AfroBasket champions, recent Olympic participants, and a team with multiple World Cup appearances. Their experience and defensive pressure were evident throughout, forcing 40 points off Uganda’s turnovers.

Head coach Mandy Juruni acknowledged both the slow start and the positives:

“We are playing the African champions, and I thought we started slow, but we grew into the game. There’s a lot of positives from this game, and we have to learn from it and be better in the next one.

We made a lot of turnovers. That’s something we must improve as a team, especially our guards. But I loved the fight we showed and the energy from the bench.”

Deng Geu echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of composure moving forward:

“Going down 17–0 is not how we wanted to start. They came with a lot of physicality and forced turnovers. But we showed fight. We have young guys, and this is part of the learning process. We’ll watch the film, correct mistakes, and come back better.”

The Silverbacks now turn their attention to pivotal clashes against Mali national basketball team on February 28 and Egypt national basketball team on March 2. These fixtures will be crucial as Uganda aims to keep its qualification hopes alive on the road to the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar.

While the opening loss exposed areas that require urgent improvement particularly ball security and handling defensive pressure it also revealed a team with resilience, bench depth, and the willingness to compete until the final whistle.

For Uganda, the campaign is far from over. If the Silverbacks can translate lessons learned against one of Africa’s basketball powerhouses into sharper execution in their upcoming games, they remain firmly in the fight.