High-flying Warriors face tricky KPA test

New-look Kenya Ports Authority men basketball team take on bitter rivals Ulinzi Warriors in Mombasa on Sunday in what is expected to be a tough national Classic Basketball league match at the KPA Hall Makande.

The match, set for 4pm, will see former KPA stars Victor Bosire and James Mwangi return to Makande for the first time since ditching the dockers for Ulinzi at the beginning of the season. It will therefore be interesting to see how they cope with the pressure especially from the Dockers fans who held them with high esteem when they were donning the KPA colours.

Bosire and Mwangi are among the seven top players who jumped ship from the Dockers to other clubs.

Others include Moses Wanjara, Victor “Electric” Ochieng and Dan Omondi who joined Equity Bank and Frank Omondi who moved to Ethiopia for a brief professional stint, leaving the Dockers exposed.

KPA team manager Christopher Magic Ogutu says they are rebuilding but is also categorical that they will be going for maximum points against the Warriors.

“We are currently reshaping our team with new faces a majority of whom are youthful which will take some time but it doesn’t mean Ulinzi and other teams will get it all easy against us,” Ogutu said.

KPA recruited Ken Wachira from Thunder, Tony Abondo and Keith Okeyo (both Strathmore Blades), Valentine Nyakinda (Seychelles), Gerry Wekesa (Don Bosco, Tanzania), Job Byron (USIU) and Paul Okiro (Zetech University) among others.

Warriors, who also recruited talented Joseph Khaemba from Oilers Tanzania and Alvin Nyangweso from USIU, have played seven matches losing only once to Thunder while registering wins against Equity Bank, Strathmore Blades, Umoja, World Hope, USIU and Kenya College of Accountancy.

KPA, on the other hand, have played three matches losing to Thunder but registering wins against newly promoted Emyba and Eldonets, making Sunday’s encounter tricky.

Also expected to be a thriller is the women’s encounter between Tangit and a revamped Western Delight side at the Kakamega police canteen from 10am on Saturday.

After beating USIU women in the opening match at the venue, Western Delight coach Donald Liruh believes it will not be easy for any other team to get points from Kakamega and have asked Tangit to prepare for the worst.

“The return of Catherine Akinyi from a brief stint with Strathmore Swords has really breathed a new lease of life into the team which also has newcomers, a majority of whom are now based in Kakamega making it easy for the team to train together,” Liruh said.

Liruh said regulars Farida Naliaka, Phydillia Akinyi, Euphracia Kagea and Scarlet Ayamunda Malala have also been very instrumental in the team’s resurgence.