What a season the Federation of Uganda Basketball has had in 2025. From surprising performances from the new-comers shocking the record ten time champions-City Oilers, to the jaw dropping calls from the referees, then to the initiation the National Basketball League
Management Committee, which was long overdue, if you ask me. Focus now turns to the payoffs and the question still remains-‘Who will remove the ‘dictator?’.
Winning the Fuba title again this year will further cement Oilers name in African Basketball History for years to come. As the only team to have won the Basketball title eleven times in a row.
So with the curtains falling on the regular season over the weekend, August 9-10), the post season is upon us.
As usual, the quarter finals will have a best of three series, semis will be best of five games while the finals will settle for a seven game series. Like always it will be the; 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, and 4v5 format, with each quarterfinal series being a best-of-three. The first team to secure two wins will advance to the semifinals.
This is how the teams stand ahead of the quarterfinals;
Namwongo Blazers V Rez Life
The Buzz among the Blazers is that this is a done and dusted title, this is basically based on the acquisitions of: Jimmy Enabu, Tony Drilleba, Ivan Muhwezi and James Okello from Oilers. All former trusted winners with the Oilers, the Blazers believe that the only thing that can stop them is themselves.
Get to think about it, they can’t a better never bull’s eye to their fans analysis. Head Coach Steven Nyeko without a doubt has the best team assembled on paper this season but can he get them to play clutch basketball when the going gets tough or will it be a case of individual brilliance as has often been, when their backs are squeezed. Rez Life should offer a good warm up to try and iron out Blazers scrimmages, hoping that the coin doesn’t flip, under dogs always have a way of spoiling the party.
JT Jaguars V City Oilers
The JT Jaguars have been a beauty to watch this season, many did not know what to expect from them this season, but head coach Ssudi Ulanga has produced a team that has nerves of steel, a never back attitude and a knack for that sucker. Finishing second on the 12 team log says it all.
Oilers head coach Andrew Tendo has been on the receiving end of those intangibles twice both in the first and second round where the Oilers fell-74-64 and 65-50 respectively to the Jaguars. However, Oilers have never lost a playoffs series in the ten years that
they have been in the National Basketball league. They seem to have, “mastered the art of psyching up their players for the Post season, it’s their X-factor all the time”, as Pai Kamoga, the National Basketball League Management Committee Marketing Manager puts it.
Sommet V KCCA Panthers
Coach Raymond Muhumuza’s Panthers have always puffed and huffed at this stage, but leave no scratch or notable damage to their opponents. The Panthers are once again faced with a side that has been relentlessly consistent with cleaning up the boards on both the defensive and offensive end of the court. Sommet front court presence makes them hard to tire out. My take is that it will go down to who has more nerves, in executing clutch plays.
Rockets V UCU Canons
A match up that should be worth every penny of lover of local basketball, it promises to turn out, like those thriller drug-trafficking, mob against mob series. Very hard to predict because each party holds there cards to their chests. Canon’s head coach Nick Natuhereza has never been doubted over the years for having the ability to interpret his opponent’s weaknesses but he has his work cut out for this one. With the National Men’s Basketball still away for the Afro-Basketball Championship in Cameroon. The Federation is yet to release the start dates of the post season, but they are expecte
