Kenya Morans jet out for Fiba World Cup qualifiers
Kenya Morans' Albert Odero (right) dribbles past Ivory Coast's Nisire Mimi Zouzous during their Fiba Afrobasket Championship match at the Kigali Arena on August 25, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Kenya Morans are in Pool “D” where they'll face heavyweights Senegal, DR Congo and Egypt.
- Ulinzi Warriors have provided the bulk of the players in the squad with Valentine Nyakinda, Victor Bosire, Eric Mutoro and Joseph Khaemba all making the travelling squad.
Kenya’s basketball team left for Dakar, Senegal early Wednesday morning for the for the 2023 Fiba men’s World Cup qualifiers.
Kenya Morans are in Pool “D” where they'll face heavyweights Senegal, DR Congo and Egypt.
Ulinzi Warriors have provided the bulk of the players in the squad with Valentine Nyakinda, Victor Bosire, Eric Mutoro and Joseph Khaemba all making the travelling squad.
Griffin Ligare (Nairobi City Thunder), Byron Ayodi (Kenya Ports Authority) and Victor Ochieng’ (Equity Bank) complete the list of local-based players in coach Cliff Owuor’s 12-man squad.
Oman-based duo Fidel Okoth (Nizwa) and Ariel Okal (Ahli Sidab), Albert Odera from New York in the USA, Joel Owich of Azrieux in France and Preston Bungei (Melbourne, Australia) are the foreign-based players in the squad which left Nairobi at 5am on Wednesday. Bosire will captain the side deputised by Nyakinda.
Notable absentees are Denmark-based forward Tylor Ongwae and Desmond Owili from Australia.
“We have not received a request for a release letter from the Kenyan federation, so I don’t expect him to go,” Ongwae’s employers Bakken Bears told Nation Sport when asked about the availability of the Kenyan star.
Ongwae is remembered for the buzzer-beating game winner that sent Morans through to the AfroBasket after 28 years in 2021.
Team Manager Mercine Milimu noted that the team “had issues to sort out” before departure but did not divulge on the details.
The Morans were expected to travel to Dakar three days before the tournament which takes place from February 25-27. Other officials are Sadat Gaya (assistant coach), Duncan Ndeda (team doctor) and Erastus Wainaina (team physiotherapist).
Kenya will open the campaign against the DRC on February 25, meet Egypt (February 26) and Senegal (February 27) in the first window, with return matches scheduled for July.
Top three sides from the four pools will enter the second round to battle for five tickets on offer for the 2023 World Cup to be held in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines.
