After revealing his final team to play at the Africa Zone V championship, Silverbacks head coach Mandy Juruni has called upon his charges to play for themselves and for the country.
Juruni named his team on Wednesday night and believes he has selected players who can best represent the nation at this year’s competition.
“Now we are on the next stage which is very important and we have all been waiting for this moment. Let’s go and represent, for ourselves because we love this game and for the country,” the tactician told his players.
“We have all it takes to qualify. I believe in all of you,” he added.
Veteran Norman Blick was the surprise omission from the team that travels to Egypt in the wee hours of Thursday. The KIU Titans small forward has since come out to reveal that he has retired from the national team.
Juruni has put trust in the young blood with the biggest surprise on the team being UCU Canons’ forward Mike Madol, who has impressed during training and the two practice games the team had.
Jonah Otim and James Okello are the other young players to have made the team alongside Pemba Warriors guard Mark Opio and Our Savior’s Joseph Chuma.
Stanley Ocitti and Darius Pegues are the only foreign based players to link up with the side after John Balwigaire and Robinson Odoch were dropped for lack of enough funds.
Egypt won the last edition of Zone V which was held in Uganda in 2014 while the hosts qualified as second seed after trouncing Somalia, Kenya and Rwanda.