Cliff Owuor has replaced coach Liz Mills as Kenya Morans head coach ahead of next month's FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers slated for Dakar, Senegal.
The Kigali-based tactician who handles APR of Rwanda makes a return after guiding Morans in the FIBA Afro-Basket qualifying first window in 2020. He will be assisted by Thunder's Sadat Gaya.
Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) secretary, Ambrose Kisoi while naming the team yesterday, said the local-based players will start training at Nyayo National Stadium next week.
Kisoi said that Australian Mills and Cameroonian Abel Nson who handled the team during the AfroBasket Championship in Rwanda had done their job.
"We engaged them to take charge of the team during the Afro-Basket championship and we have now recalled Owuor for the next tournament," Kisoi explained.
Other than four new players from the diaspora and two new ones who are based locally, the rest of the players have been retained in the provisional list of 20 players.
New faces include Orion Onyango, (USA), Tony Maina (Beijing China), and Sammy Opel (UAE). Emyba's Eugene Adera also made the team.
Morans are in Group 'D' and will face off against DR Congo, Egypt, and host Senegal. The three-day tournament will take place at the newly built Dakar Arena from February 25-27.
Competing in Group 'B' are Cameroon, Rwanda, South Sudan, and reigning African champions Tunisia.
The first window of the qualifiers was held in November 2021 in Benguela, Angola. The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is to be co-hosted by Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines.
Squad
Griffin Ligare, (Thunder), Eric Mutoro, Valentine Nyakinda, Victor Bosire, Joseph Khaemba (Ulinzi Warriors), Eugene Adera (Emyba), Victor Ochieng, Faheem Juma (Equity Bank), Job Byron ( KPA).
Diaspora- Orion Onyango, Albert Odero (USA) Preston Bungei, Desmond Owili (Melbourne Australia), Tylor Okari (Bakken Bears Denmark), Tony Maina (Beijing China), Sammy Opel (UAE), Ariel.Okal (Dhofar, Oman),, Fidel Okoth (Nirzwa Oman), Bush Wamukota (Patriots Rwanda) and Joel Awich (Azrieux France).
