The 2026 National Basketball League edges closer to the conclusion of its first round with a thrilling double-header lined up tonight, Friday, April 10, at the Lugogo Indoor Arena, with two of the league’s in-form men’s sides in action in their respective fixtures.
Defending men’s champions Namuwongo Blazers will tip off the evening at 7:00pm against JT Jaguars, before 10-time champions City Oilers, who are still unbeaten side this season, face off against a resurgent Rezlife Saints at 9:00pm.
Both encounters will be broadcast live on NBS Sport.
Coming into the opening fixture, the Blazers are in blazing form. After suffering an opening day loss to rivals City Oilers, Stephen ‘Escodata’ Nyeko’s side have responded emphatically, stringing together nine consecutive victories to surge to the top of the standings.
Their dominant run has seen them dispatch UCU Canons, UMU Flames, Victoria Crocs, JKL Dolphins, KCCA Panthers, Rezlife Saints, UPDF Tomahawks, Kampala Rockets and Sommet in convincing fashion.
Among the highlights of that streak was a commanding 106-68 win over UPDF Tomahawks, as well as their most recent outing where they held Sommet to just 41 points in an 82-41 victory.
With just one game left in the first round, the Blazers will be keen to maintain momentum and finish strongly.
However, JT Jaguars are unlikely to roll over. Sudi Ulanga’s side, who reached the quarterfinals last season, have had a mixed campaign so far with five wins and four losses.
Encouragingly, they arrive on the back of three wins in their last four games, including a hard-fought 60-53 victory over UCU Canons in their most recent outing.
Their only recent setback was a 66-48 loss to City Oilers, a game in which they showed resilience despite falling short.
History, however, favours the Blazers. Last season, Namuwongo swept the regular-season series against the Jaguars en route to their maiden title, winning 83-57 in April 2025, and 81-71 the next month.
The Blazers will once again look to key performers like Peter Obleng, Innocent Ochera, Moses Mugisha and Nyembo Fataki Franck, while the Jaguars will rely on Choul Dut, Peter Sifuma, Ian Lubwama and George Christian Odeke to challenge the champions.
The second game of the night pits two ambitious sides against each other in what could be a defining clash for both teams’ first-round ambitions.
Rezlife Saints made a blistering start to the season with five straight wins over UPDF Tomahawks, KCCA Panthers, Victoria Crocs, UMU Flames and Kampala Rockets before hitting a rough patch with consecutive losses to Sommet and Namuwongo Blazers.
They have since steadied the ship with back-to-back victories over UCU Canons (73-61) and JKL Dolphins (83-59).
Their charge has been driven by standout performances from Edrine Ekau, who has tallied 157 points, 35 rebounds and 29 assists so far, alongside Michael Otieno (100 points, 44 rebounds, 28 assists) and Hon Kwany (100 points, 59 rebounds, 12 assists).
Standing in their way are a relentless City Oilers side determined to reclaim the crown they lost last season.
The Oilers have been flawless so far, opening their campaign with a statement 74-65 victory over the Blazers and following it up with eight more wins to remain the only unbeaten side across both the men’s and women’s divisions.
They head into tonight’s game on the back of an emphatic 85-60 win over Victoria Crocs, where Fayed Baale (18 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists), Joel ‘Banza’ Lukoji (12 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists) and Edgar Munaba (11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) led the way.
A hallmark of their success this season has been their depth and collective effort, with contributions also coming from Landry Ndikumana, Titus Lual, Joel Kayira, Benjamin Kawumi and Malual Dier.
The Oilers also hold the psychological edge, having beaten the Saints twice last season. They secured a 68-62 victory on April 16, 2025, which was their first win of the campaign after a poor start, before registering a dramatic 75-72 win on June 29, in a game where they overturned a 16-point deficit.
Meanwhile, after tonight’s games, attention will quickly shift to Sunday, April 12, when the first round officially concludes with four fixtures at the Lugogo Indoor Arena, two of which will also be live on NBS Sport.
Pearl Queens face Nabisunsa at 12:00pm, Angels take on JT Lady Jaguars at 2:00pm, JT Jaguars return to action against Rezlife Saints at 4:00pm in a live broadcast, before City Oilers wrap up the round against UCU Canons at 6:00pm, also live.
