ROAD TO BAL: Namuwongo Blazers Eye Perfect Start

Nam Blazers ROAD TO BAL schedule:

Wednesday: Ushindzi, 7pm
Thursday: COSPN, 7pm
Saturday: Patriots, 6pm
Sunday: Urunani, 6pm

Namuwongo Blazers will be seeking a winning start to their Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Division D qualifying campaign when they face Comoros’ Ushindzi at the new Hoima Arena on Wednesday.

The Blazers are hosting the five-team tournament in Hoima City, which runs until October 25, with the top two teams earning places in the Elite 16 stage.

South Sudan’s Patriots, Burundi’s Urunani and Madagascar’s COSPIN are the other teams competing for the two qualification slots.

Namuwongo have strengthened their squad ahead of the competition, bringing in several experienced players and Spanish coach Louis Lopez Hernandez as they target a place in the continental competition.

Hernandez, who previously guided Ferroviario da Beira to the BAL on two occasions, has been entrusted with leading the Ugandan champions through the qualifiers.

Among the new arrivals is American shooting guard Richaud Pack, who brings extensive experience from college basketball and professional leagues in Cyprus, Austria, Israel and Greece.

Nigerian centre Peter Olisemake has also joined the team after playing for Maktown Flyers in the 2025-26 BAL campaign, where he averaged nine points and ten rebounds per game. The six-foot-eight centre has also featured in leagues across Cyprus, Bulgaria, Poland, France and Romania.

American point guard Jonathan Jordan, who is a naturalised Congolese, is another addition. He has played college basketball at Texas A&M, featured in the NBA G League and gained professional experience in Finland, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Serbia and Morocco.

Senegalese forward Makhtar Gueye completes the list of notable recruits. His experience includes stints with Ferroviario da Beira, Dynamo of Burundi, Kadji Sports of Cameroon and clubs in Spain and Senegal. He was also part of Senegal’s team that won bronze at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket and featured at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The Blazers have further retained Nyembo Fataki, their standout performer in last season’s domestic league, while Edrine Ekau has joined from Rezlife Saints.

The reinforcements are expected to strengthen Namuwongo’s chances as they pursue qualification for the next stage.

The top two teams in Hoima will advance to the Elite 16 tournament, scheduled for Nairobi, Kenya, from November 24 to 29, 2026.