Equity in make or break tie against mighty Angolans

Equity Hawks' Betty Kananu (left) tries to go past FAP's Alexandra Green during their Fiba Africa Women's Club Championships match at the Maxaquene Indoor Courts in Maputo on November 19, 2018. PHOTO | PHILP ONYANGO |

What you need to know:

  • Matters are complicated for Equity by the fact that there are three Americans in the Interclub squad and they have more or less maintained the same team that did duty for them at home in Luanda, Angola last year when they finished fourth.
  • Play maker Italee Lucas, who has been Interclub’s star over the past five years, has dual Angolan, American citizenship having taken up the latter last year.

IN MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE

Equity Hawks face their toughest task yet in the ongoing Fiba Africa Champions Cup for Women when they play 2016 winners Interclub of Angola in their final group A match as the tournament’s preliminary matches conclude on Wednesday here at the Maxaquene indoor courts.

The bankers, who recently clinched the Zone 5 title, have been inconsistent in this Africa event and will need to change their strategy drastically if they are to beat the high-flying unbeaten Angolans.

The match is a make-or-break encounter that could see them either storm the quarter finals with a win, or kiss the championships goodbye with a loss.

Matters are complicated for Equity by the fact that there are three Americans in the Interclub squad and they have more or less maintained the same team that did duty for them at home in Luanda, Angola last year when they finished fourth.

Play maker Italee Lucas, who has been Interclub’s star over the past five years, has dual Angolan, American citizenship having taken up the latter last year.

Suriya Annamarie McGuire and Ananda Thomson, the other two Americans in Interclub’s squad, take up the two slots allotted to foreigners according to Fiba regulations.

Equity lost their opening match to hosts Ferroviario de Maputo 68-45, before going down 77-44 to Forces Armed Police (F. A. P) from Cameroon in their second match.

“We are not playing well at all. I cannot tell for sure what exactly is happening with the team because we are easily losing possession, our execution is bad and the general body language wanting,” stand-in coach Carey Odhiambo said after their second loss.

Kenya’s other representative at the championship Kenya Ports Authority are on the verge of making the quarter finals after an opening win against Lakers from Zimbabwe and a surprise 71-61 loss to Democratic Republic of Congo’s Institute National Securitie Social (I.N.S.S) on Monday.

Their record means that they also have to work extra hard if they are to remain contenders.

A win against MB2All from Madagascar, who have become group B whipping girls, in a match set for Tuesday evening would mean KPA finish third in the log setting up potentially tough quarter final dates with either hosts Ferroviario de Maputo or Interclub of Angola.