KBF lines up friendlies for national teams
National women's basketball team players during their All Africa Games clash with Zimbabwe at the Desportivo gymnasium in Maputo on September 5, 2011. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The African Championship qualifiers will also double up as the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament
- At the same time, men and women’s national teams will play neighbours Uganda in other high-profile build-up matches on November 30, according to KBF treasurer Peter Orero
- Elsewhere, Kenya Ports Authority men and women teams qualified for the semi-finals of 2018 Kenya Basketball Federation leagues after seeing off Kenyatta University Oryx (women) and USIU men respectively
Men’s national basketball team plays Cameroon this week in one of a series of friendly matches the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) has lined up for Kenyan teams ahead of the qualifiers for 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and the African Championships.
The friendly matches will help the teams prepare for the qualifiers for the African Championships to be played in Nairobi in March. The African Championship qualifiers will also double up as the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
At the same time, men and women’s national teams will play neighbours Uganda in other high-profile build-up matches on November 30, according to KBF treasurer Peter Orero.
Orero said United States International University - Africa’s coach Cliff Owuor will coach men’s team, assisted by Carey ‘T9’ Odhiambo while veteran Ronnie Owino and Everlyne Kedogo will handle the women’s team.
“We had an executive meeting and agreed on principle that Owuor and Owino handle the national teams for the two friendly matches as we work on having national teams which can do duty for the country at any time,” Orero said.
He urged the teams’ coaches to come up with a full programme for the teams to cover the friendly matches against Cameroun and Uganda with focus on the continental championships.
"We are taking these friendly matches seriously because we want to ensure our teams qualify for the African Championships. We will therefore closely monitor progress of the teams in training ahead of the matches,” Orero said.
