Kenya’s Morans braced for Afrobasket challenge

The national men’s basketball team captain Griffin Ligare admitted quality opposition awaits them at the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers in Kigali but his side is ready to match up and compete.

The Morans are outsiders in a Group B that has Senegal, Mozambique and Angola but Ligare says they will be ready to exploit their weaknesses at the Rwandan capital later this month.

“It is true as per the FIBA standings our opponents are ranked higher than us but that does not mean that we will go there with our heads down.

“At the moment we know what we need to do and the areas we need to prepare to counter their strengths.

“We give them respect but we believe we have a chance against all our opponents despite their standings,” he told Citizen Digital.

He says all teams are evenly matched given the fact that there will be not fans in the qualifiers bubble.

He reckons that aspect will play to their advantage since they will not feel the difference of playing away from home.

“We understand it is always good to have the fans on the stands cheering at us but that will not be possible as a result of the restrictions necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Therefore, all teams will stand a chance even if we will be playing away from home,” he added.

The Morans overcame a resilient South Sudan in the finals of the pre-qualification games last year at the Nyayo Stadium gymnasium and will hope to replicate that form when they on Angola, Mozambique, and Senegal in Group B of the qualifiers.

The top three teams from the qualification journey will qualify for the Afrobasket Championship that will be held in Kigali next year.

Kenya last featured at the FIBA AfroBasket Finals in 1993 when Nairobi hosted the event and Morans will be aiming for a long return to the continent’s top basketball festival.