The national basketball team Morans assemble at Nyayo Stadium this afternoon to start preparations for the 2021 Fiba AfroBasket qualifiers.
Head coach Cliff Owuor yesterday disclosed that he has alerted all his local based players to be available for training as he pursues the availability of the diaspora players.
“I have got in touch with all the players who play locally and other than forward Valentine Nyakinda, who is in Tanzania, we should start off our training,” said Owuor.
The tactician has named no new player into the team saying he will work with the players he used in the AfroCan show in Mali and January qualifiers in Nairobi.
“I have included no new face in the side,” revealed Owuor adding; “I prefer to work with those who featured in our last two championships.”
He said six players including captain Griffin Ligare were available during the team’s Friday briefing at Sunshine High school.
The others were Jose Khaemba, Fidel Okoth, Faheen Juma, Victor Odendo and Victor Ochieng.
Those expected to join the team today include Victor Bosire, James Mwangi and Eric Mutoro.
“Everything is now in place. We have been given the greenlight to train as we observe the laid down Covid-19 procedures,” he observed.
Owuor said he has regular talks with the players in the diaspora who will join the rest as soon as plans to have them home are complete.
“I am in constant talks with all the players based abroad and they are ready. The only one whom I am yet to find is Robert Nyakundi, but I am trying to get him,” he said.
Kenya will play against giants Angola, Senegal and Mozambique in the Group ‘B’ qualifiers, now moved to Kigali, Rwanda.
The four-team event earlier slated for Dakar, Senegal will be held between November 25 and 29.
Rwanda will host three of the tournaments featuring 12 teams from groups ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘D’ with Group ‘E’ competing in Alexandria, Egypt.
The top three teams from each group will book their tickets for the 16 team finals that will also be played in Kigali next year.
Upbeat Owuor said that they have their eyes set on their first continental meeting since 1993 and will give it their best shot.
Kenya qualified after winning a six team pre-qualifiers that included Burundi, Eritrea, South Sudan , Somalia and Tanzania in Nairobi in January.
There will also be a three-team wild card tournament in Yaounde, Cameroon from October 22-24 involving Chad, South Sudan and Cape Verde.
