City Oilers

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City Oilers
Basketball current event.svg 2024 City Oilers season
City Oilers.png
Leagues NBL Uganda
BAL
Founded2011;13 years ago (2011)
HistoryCity Oilers
(2011–present)
ArenaMTN Arena
Location Lugogo, Kampala, Uganda
Team colorsBlue, gold and green
   
Main sponsorCity Oil
PresidentHajji Mohamed Ghedi Santur
Head coach Andrew Tendo
Team captain James Okello
Championships9 Ugandan Leagues

City Oilers is a basketball club based in Lugogo, Kampala, Uganda. The team competes in the Ugandan National Basketball League (NBL), where it has won nine championships, the most in league history. [1] The Oilers currently also play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

Contents

Founded in 2011 by a group of friends, the team is named after its main sponsor City Oil.

History

The club was founded by a group of friends who decided to play basketball together. They started playing pick-up games at courts in Kampala, with former national league players joining. Later, Justus Mugisha became head coach and suggested the team joined a basketball league. In 2011, the team was pitched to the director of oil company City Oil and the team was founded as City Oilers. [2] The team started in the NBL Division III in 2011. Later, the team promoted to the NBL Uganda, which it would win eight straight years from 2014. Additionally, the team made several continental appearances, including the 2009 FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup.

The team played in the first round of the 2022 BAL Qualifying Tournaments [3] where it finished the group play 2-0 but eventually withdrew before the start of the Elite 16. The following year, City Oilers qualified for the 2023 BAL season after beating Urunani in the third place game of the Road to BAL. [4] The Oilers finished 6th in the Nile Conference, winning one game out of five.

The Oilers won their ninth title on 25 October 2023, following a 4-2 series win over the KIU Titans. [5] The following month, they qualified for their second consecutive BAL season when they defeated Dynamo in the Road to BAL semi-finals on 25 November 2023. [6]

In December 2023, Mandy Juruni decided to leave the club for an opportunity in Rwanda. As a response, the Oilers hired his assistant Andrew Tendo as the new head of the team. [7]

Honours

The Oilers celebrating winning the 2022 NBL championship City Oilers champions.jpg
The Oilers celebrating winning the 2022 NBL championship

National Basketball League

In international competition

In the FIBA Africa Clubs Champions

FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup (1 appearance)

2009 – Ninth Place

In the Basketball Africa League

The City Oilers have played in the Road to BAL three times, qualifying in 2023. [4] They won their first BAL game at May 5, 2023, beating Ferroviário da Beira 96-75.

Season Road to BAL Main competition
WLResultQualifiedWLResult
2021 54 Fourth Place Dark Red x.svgDNQ
2022 20 Elite 16 [lower-alpha 1] Dark Red x.svgDNQ
2023 62Bronze medal icon.svg BronzeYes check.svg146th in Nile Conference
Total1361/314
  1. ↑ In the 2022 qualification, City Oilers withdrew before the start of the Elite 16.

Players

Current roster

2023–24 City Oilers roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
PG 00 Flag of the United States.svg Rembert, Patrick  (I)1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)35 – (1989-04-09)9 April 1989
PG 1 Flag of Uganda.svg Baale, Fayed 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)22 – (2001-12-28)28 December 2001
PF 4 Flag of Uganda.svg Okello, James 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)32 – (1992-01-26)26 January 1992
PF 6 Flag of the United States.svg Miller Jr., Dane  (I)2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)33 – (1990-05-10)10 May 1990
SG 7 Flag of Uganda.svg Muhwezi, Ivan 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)26 – (1998-01-19)19 January 1998
SG 10 Flag of Uganda.svg Drileba, Tony 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)30 – (1993-12-19)19 December 1993
SF 12 Flag of Uganda.svg Allawi, Ssenkubuge 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)21 – (2002-08-24)24 August 2002
C/PF13 Flag of Uganda.svg Odeke, Titus 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)25 – (1998-12-29)29 December 1998
SG 14 Flag of Uganda.svg Opong, Robinson 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)34 – (1989-05-10)10 May 1989
PF 15 Flag of Ghana.svg Ahmed, Muhammed  (I)2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)30 – (1993-08-17)17 August 1993
G 23 Flag of the United States.svg Culpepper, Randy  (I)1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)34 – (1989-05-16)16 May 1989
F 24 Flag of South Sudan.svg Maluach, Khaman  (E)2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)17 – (2006-09-13)13 September 2006
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured
Updated: 19 April 2024

Notable players

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Criteria

To appear in this section a player must have either:

  • Set a club record or won an individual award while at the club
  • Played at least one official international match for their national team at any time
  • Played at least one official NBA match at any time.

Head coaches

Mandy Juruni was the Oilers head coach for 10 years, between 2013 and 2023 Mandy Juruni.jpg
Mandy Juruni was the Oilers head coach for 10 years, between 2013 and 2023

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References

  1. ↑ "City Oilers win sixth Uganda basketball championship". The Independent . 18 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  2. ↑ Kaweru, Franklin (25 April 2020). "City Oilers: The making of Uganda's most successful basketball club". Kawowo Sports. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  3. ↑ Ulinzi starts Dar show DANN O’WERRE (The Star), 29 October 2021. Accessed 18 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 "City Oilers overcome Urunani to punch last ticket to the Basketball Africa League 2023". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  5. ↑ Kule, Edwin Kyle (25 October 2023). "City Oilers lift record ninth straight National Basketball League title". Kawowo Sports. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "City Oilers first team to book 2024 BAL slot in Joburg". FIBA.basketball. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Tendo, Koma appointed City Oilers' coaches". MTN Sports. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  8. 1 2 Mister City Oilers! John Vianney Nsimbe (The Observer), 13 February 2020. Accessed 29 June 2021.
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