As the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers begin this Friday in Tunisia, eyes are on Morans who carry Kenya’s hopes and stakeholders have voiced different views on the prospects of the national men’s basketball team punching the continental showpiece ticket.
Morans, who left the country Tuesday night for Tunis, are placed in group ‘E’ which also has the hosts, Angola and Guinea with the event set to from Friday to Sunday.
The Kenyans will tip-off the championship against the hosts and reigning Africa champions Tunisia on Friday before playing 11-time AfroBasket winners Angola on day two and then wind up the group matches against Guinea.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) assistant captain Samuel Ocholla said he is looking forward to a very tough encounter in the group adding Morans should be wary of the threat posed by Tunisia and Angola.
“All the games are going to be tough with Tunisia playing at home before their fans. It won’t be an easy game. They have called up their veteran players to beef up the squad which will make the first game very hard for Morans.
“The first game usually sets the tone for the tournament, you lose it, you are under pressure when playing the second match and so we must rise up in the opening fixture,” he said.
“The last time we played Angola, we won by half a basket at the final buzzer which was scored by Tylor (Okari) and this time I believe they will be coming guns blazing to avenge that loss.”
While Morans focus will no doubt be on the two Africa powerhouses, Ocholla says they should not underrate the Guinea side who are buoyed by the outstanding performance of their junior boy’s team.
The Guineans defied all the odds and went on to make history by emerging winners in the FIBA U 16 Africa Championship in Monastir, Tunisia.
“As for Guinea they play a very physical game of which we should be ready for, but all in all we should approach a game at a time, play good defense and execute well on offence.
“How our perimeter shooters are going to execute, the kind of shots we are going to take will determine the outcome. We have to march their physicality,” he added.
His sentiments have been echoed by Storms Women’s Basketball head coach Abel Nson.
“Morans are in a tricky group. First Tunisia is in rebuilding process. Maybe their preparations have been different from ours as they have been in camp together for a long time, unlike Morans. For Angola, they are targeting to exact revenge and I don’t know if Morans are ready to tackle a team that wants revenge,” he said.
“Guinea is the team that looks beatable and Morans are counting on that and it will be a very interesting game to watch, Guinea therefore should be playable, Tunisia second playable because they are rebuilding then Angola the least playable. For Moran’s winning will depend on how well they will approach the games.”
Nson, former Morans assistant head coach and who under former head coach Liz Mill, led the national team to the 2021 Afrobasket after 28 years is backing Morans to at least get a win to advance to the second round.
“What we should expect in Tunis right now is Morans to set themselves in good position for round two just like last time. It’s essential for us to get a win, a win puts us in a position at least, two wins makes it much more beautiful,” he added.
Group ‘A’ has South Sudan, DR Congo while group ‘B’ consists of Cape Verde, Nigeria and Uganda.
Senegal are in pool C alongside Cameroon and fast-rising Rwanda while group D has Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Central Africa and Madagascar.
