Kenya Morans coach Cliff Owuor wants foreign-based players home early to prepare for the 2021 Fiba AfroBasket qualifiers in November.
Owuor plans to have at least 15 training sessions for both set of players, local-based and those in the diaspora.
“If I can have them here for at least 25 days including tournament dates, it will be helpful. I need to to have enough time for them together,” he noted.
Owuor said his plan is to return Kenya to the continental championships and will therefore take the two-leg qualifiers seriously.
The players plying their trade abroad are Ronny Gundo, Robert Nyakundi (USA), Tyler Okari (Denmark), Desmond Owili (Australia), Tom Wamukota (Rwanda) and Ariel Okal (Algeria). The tactician is in pursuit of at least three more players from USA.
Kenya face hosts Senegal, Angola and Mozambique in Group ‘B’ beginning November 27.
On the localll-based players, Owuor said fitness is not going to be much of an issue but he urged them to visit the gym and lift weights to muscle-up.
“I am concerned about the status of my home based players. They are not lifting weights and they look small which is worrying. They must bulk up,” he said.
He plans to have between 10 to 12 players in camp before the arrival of the players from abroad.
“There is need to have them training, eating and watch clips together as they wait for their diaspora-based mates,” he observed.
Owuor said they are also targeting some friendly matches for the team before they fly out to Dakar.
“We need to have some friendly matches and we are in touch with Rwanda, Morocco and Egypt to see if that can be possible.” he disclosed.
After the November show, the next phase of the four team tournament will be held from February 19 at a venue yet to be determined. Owuor said if the team have good preparations, they have a strong chance of making it to their first championships since 1993.
Kenya reached the qualifiers after winning a six-team pre-qualifier tournament that was held in Nairobi in January.
