Galanopoulos proud despite Silverbacks’ Afrobasket exit

Uganda men’s basketball team head coach George Galanopoulos says he is proud of his players despite the Silverbacks losing all three group stage games at the 2025 Afrobasket.

“I’m proud of the team. Yes, we made mistakes, but that’s something you have to accept with young players in such competitive tournaments,” Galanopoulos said.

The Silverbacks finished last in Group D and were eliminated, but the coach believes the experience will help the young players grow.

“It was an incredible learning experience, and these players will be more prepared for the next Afrobasket or World Cup qualifiers,” he added.

Uganda’s last game was a 77–64 loss to Egypt on Saturday. The Silverbacks led 18–17 after the first quarter and trailed by just one point at halftime. But the third quarter proved costly as Egypt went on a 17–2 run, opening a 10-point gap that Uganda could not close.

“That spirit of competing, even in defeat, will drive them forward,” he said.

The Silverbacks tried to rally in the fourth quarter and came within six points, but Egypt’s late 10–0 run sealed Uganda’s fate.

Player John Deng Geu stood out, scoring 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals against Egypt. He was the most consistent Silverbacks player, averaging 22 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals across the tournament. Robinson Opong and Naseef Lubowa also hit double digits in the last game.

“Nobody stepped onto the court thinking we were already out of it. We followed the process and the game plan, and I believe we were better than the last time,” Galanopoulos explained.

Uganda’s campaign was hurt before it even started. Star forward Ishmail Wainright pulled out, while Christopher Mubiru also missed the tournament. That left Uganda with only 10 players.

The situation worsened when Jacksen Moni, who had scored 10 points in the opener against Senegal, was injured and missed the last two games.

Despite the setbacks, new faces like Lubowa, Moni, and Tejan Joel Rugette made their national team debuts. Local-based players Ivan Muhwezi, Joel Kayiira, and Fayed Baale also featured, though the trio managed just five points

“The kids have grown since the first game and even from the first day of camp. The results didn’t show it, but I am proud of the progress we’ve made,” he said.

Uganda eventually placed 15th out of 16 teams, equalling their worst finish, first recorded in 2015 in Tunisia.

This was a sharp contrast to their best-ever performance in 2021 in Rwanda, when they reached the quarterfinals and finished sixth.