Wounded Morans prey on Mozambique in must-win tie

In Kigali, Rwanda

Kenya Morans Friday take on Mozambique in a do-or-die match at the ongoing Fiba AfroBasket Group 'B' qualifiers here in Kigali, Rwanda.

After losing 92-54  to Senegal and 83-66 to Angola in their first two matches, Morans could finally have a full house after missing the services of captain Griffin Ligare and Preston Kiprono Bungei who were still in quarantine.

Bungei has been very unlucky at this championships with logistical challenges locking him out of action.

After being barred from playing for lack of a Kenyan passport, Bungei together with team manager Maxim Milimu were forced into second quarantine and Covid-19 testing after they left the team's bubble at the La Palisse Hotel for the Kenyan embassy here in Kigali to sort out the passport issue without informing the organisers.

On return from the embassy, the pair was denied access to the bubble until Kenya's head of delegation Peter Orero protested to Fiba who finally intervened and they were allowed back on condition that they are tested afresh, quarantined and results turn out negative.

At the time of going to press, the duo together with Ligare had not been released from quarantine but it is highly likely that they will be released in time for Friday's encounter.

Since Covid-19 struck and games resumed, Fiba has allowed teams to play but only in a bubble where all participants after being quarantined and testing negative for Covid are housed together and are not allowed any contact with people outside the bubble, failure to which you risk possible expulsion from the tournament.

Bungei's passport, which saw him locked out of the tournament, was finally printed on Thursday morning and should be here in Kigali before the Mozambique match.

Kenya will need to dig deep for a win against Mozambique which will boost their chances of qualifying for the Afrobasket finals to be staged at the same venue next August.

Qualification for Africa's biggest basketball showpiece has proved an uphill task for Morans having last payed at this championships in 1993 when Kenya hosted the games in Nairobi.

On their part, Mozambique lost by a huge margin to Angola (87-58) in the opening match and now find themselves in a tricky position.

Captain Custodio Muchate told Nation Sport that they will be going all out on Friday to make the return leg in February a formality.

"All the teams in this group are strong. They're here because they have done something before. We respect not only Angola and Senegal, just because they went to the World Cup, but all the teams.

"It's important we improve our game because we want to qualify for AfroBasket next year," said Muchate who has played for Mozambique since 2003.

Mozambique have qualified for every AfroBasket since 1999 - an impressive 11 consecutive times and 15 in total since their debut in 1981 in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Kenya coach Cliff Owuor is however praying that he registers full house on Friday after playing with 10 men in the opening two matches.