Kenya Morans will take on Morocco in the first FIBA AfroCan quarter-finals match at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda Arena in Angola on Thursday.
The meeting was set up after Morocco destroyed Cameroon 78-50 in a one-sided pre-quarterfinals match played Wednesday.
“Morocco looks good especially in their game today. They have been looking better game after game,” noted Morans' head coach Cliff Owuor adding, “We will make the necessary adjustments.”
"The team’s shot selection was horrible. They attempted 23-pointers and made only three,” the tactician said after the 66-63 surprise defeat to Gabon.
Kenya started their campaign off to a flying start, defeating Ivory Coast 62-52 in their tournament-opening fixture. The three teams finished with a 1-1 record but Morans had a better aggregate.
Against a sharp-shooting Morocco side, Kenya who bagged the silver medal in the 2019 show in Bamako, Mali, will have to up their game if they are to progress to the semifinals.
Derrick Ogechi has produced a solid performance while Eugene Adera and Griffin Ligare have done a good job coming off the bench. The duo has provided the bulk of Kenya points.
Guards led by captain Victor Bosire and Erc Mutoro as well as the front court of centre Tom Wamukota and forwards Bramwell Muchina and Fidel Okoth must come out strong if Morans are to advance.
Morocco proved too much for Cameroon, taking a 17-10 lead in the first quarter before raining shots for a 28-11 edge in the second— to go up 45-21 at the breather.
Sensing danger, the Cameroonians did well to take the third quarter 21-15 but it was short-lived as the North Africans raved away 18-8 in the fourth to comfortably ease to the last eight.
Kevin Franchesci and Soufiane Benhmin, who are the players to watch in the Morocco line-up dropped 13 points each while Ayub Achouri had eight rebounds. Cameroon’s Arnold Kome scored game-high 18 points.
Morocco were placed second in Group 'C' while Cameroon finished third in Group 'D' which was headed by champions Democratic Republic of Congo.
The other pre-quarterfinals matches pitted Nigeria against Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire vs Mali, and Mozambique vs Rwanda. The quarters will tip off Thursday with the winners moving to the semis.
