In Yaounde,Cameroon

Kenya Morans coach Elizabeth Mills has said they have what it takes to beat all their Afrobasket qualifiers Group “B” opponents here in Yaounde and secure a place in the continental finals.

The final round of qualifiers tip off Friday with Kenya tackling group leaders and favourites Senegal.

Players echoed the Australian coach’s sentiments adding she had brought exuberance, a sense of urgency and professionalism in the team since she took over close to a month ago, something that they say has helped them to gel quickly.

“All I have here are players of international repute, always ready to learn, workaholics and disciplined, something that makes me believe we should be the team to beat at this championships,” Mills said after yesterday's training session. 

According to Mills, every member of the team here is challenging for a starting five place something that she says will make squad rotation very easy.

Mills has brought in five players who were not in Kigali for the first round.

The five are France-based Joel Awich, Denmark-based Preston Kiprono Bungei, Bush Wamukota, Joseph Khaemba, and Victor Ochieng.

Awich, who could easily passes for a small forward if his ball handling skills are anything to go by, will be a perfect complement on the front court for Wamukota, Desmond Owili, Ronnie Gundo and Ariel Okal.

The named players all look sharper than they were in Kigali and are obviously hungry to excel. 

“I am enjoying every moment with this team. They are very receptive and professional in everything they do and I cannot wait for action to start so that we can put into practice all that we have learnt,” said Mills at the team hotel in Yaounde, betraying here eagerness to see action on the court.

Mills said Bungei and Okari were very intelligent with the ball, possessed excellent floor vision and execution, and could be Morans’ silent killers on the back court alongside Valentine Nyakinda, who had an excellent display in Rwanda, both as a small forward and power forward. 

She added that Khaemba and Ochieng would bring some speed and power on the back court which also has captain Griffin Ligare and his assistant Eric Mutoro.

“Like I told you earlier I have been watching all the team’s games and that has made it very easy for me to adapt,” said Awich.

He pointed out that Mills was very knowledgeable on the game of basketball. 

His sentiments were echoed by Okal who praised the coach for giving a lot of attention to detail in training. 

“Apart from imparting skills, she is very keen on the players’ statistics, on fitness level,  speed and execution and helps  individual players know where they are and where they are going,” Okal, one of the senior members of the team here, said. 

At the same time the Kenya contingent here in Yaounde are not happy with the way the local health officials are conducting Covid-19 testing.

Players, coaches and other members of the delegation took issue with the brazenly rough manner samples were being taken from their noses.

They all said they experienced a lot of discomfort in the manner in which the health officials in Yaounde were pushing the testing bud deep into their noses.

Many players said they were hurt by the experience and are contemplating boycotting the next test on Sunday.

“These guys are not testing for coronavirus but are hurting us. I have been tested several times since the coronavirus pandemic struck and I have never gone through this painful experience here in Cameroon,” Mills said after the test. 

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