With the AfroBasket tournament set to kick off tomorrow August 5th at the iconic Kigali Arena, Kenya National Basketball team (Morans) are set and ready as the final squad was named by Head coach Liz Mills. The final squad features 12 players. Fourteen players had travelled to Kigali, but the coaching staff dropped two, shooting guard Faheem Juma and point guard Victor Bosire. "We are looking for players who are able to play Afrobasket which is very structured and set offenses and defenses and have ability to run our plays on the offensive end as well as run defensive concepts down the other end of the floor," coach Mills said. Australian born Mills will also be making history as the tournament's only female head coach and also Morans' first female Head coach. Being appointed as Kenya's head coach in February this year, the Australian has managed to guide the team to their first AfroBasket finals tournament in 28 years.
Morans face two-time champions Ivory Coast in their opening match on Wednesday night. Kenya qualified to the tournament after finishing behind five time Afrobasket champions Senegal and 11 times winners Angola in Group B. On the other hand, the Elephants finished top in Group C with six wins over Cameroon, Guinea and Equatorial Guinea. Later on, Kenya will face Nigeria on August 27 at 4pm and Mali on August 29 at 2:30pm to finish the group phase.
TEAM:
Griffin Ligare, point guard Joseph Khaemba, Derrick Ogechi (point guard), Erick Mutoro (shooting guard), Albert Onyango (shooting guard), Tylor Ongwae (small forward), Valentine Nyakinda (small forward), Ariel Okal Koranga (power forward), Fidel Okoth (centre), Tom Bush Wamukota (centre), Desmond Owili (centre) and Ronnie Gundo (Power forward).