No love lost for Banker's duo against KPA
Equity Bank’s Betty Kananu tries to dribble past Alexandra Green of FAP from Cameroon in a past match. PHOTO | PHILIP ONYANGO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Okumu and Kananu joined Equity Bank from KPA in October.
- They helped Equity Bank to Zone Five championship glory in October.
- Equity Banks takes on KPA in league play offs.
Seline Okumu and Betty Kananu will be making an emotional return to Mombasa when Equity Bank takes on Kenya Ports Authority in the National Classic basketball league play-off final on Wednesday.
The pair is back at KPA Makande Hall hardly a year after helping KPA to a 3-0 sweep over their current employers in the league play offs. They joined Dockers in 2016 aiding them to win back-to-back Zone Five regional titles.
Equity Bank enticed the duo from Mombasa with employment offers in October and they had immediate impact as they led Bankers to Zone Five glory in Dar es Salaam the same month. Will they help Equity Bank dethrone KPA as National Classic basketball league champions? The jury is still out.
Okumu and Kananu declined to speak to Nation Sport about the looming battle but as their former team manager at KPA Chris Ogutu puts it, they will not be welcomed with a bouquet of flowers. “We still believe Seline and Betty are still our players as they played all but three of our regular season matches. Nevertheless, the remaining players have vowed to fight like wounded lions and defend the title,” he said.
In the regular season, KPA beat Equity Bank in Mombasa but the Bankers turned the tables on Dockers beating them at USIU outdoor courts in the return leg.
Apart from Okumu and Kananu, six other former KPA players are set to take on their former colleagues in this high profile encounter. Shooting guard Hilda Indasi, diminutive forward Linda Alando and Lilian Atieno Mboga have all played for KPA at some time. Other former Dockers on Equity Bank’s book include Belinda Okoth, Samba Mjomba and Ritah Oluoch.
Equity Bank is expected to unleash Hilda Ndegwa, stylish Brenda Ngaira and skipper Joyce Wafula against KPA.
On the other hand, the Dockers will be banking on the experience of Annerose Mandela, Bright Nanzala, Yvonne Akinyi, Linet Atieno and their inspirational skipper Brenda Angeshi for their much needed win.
Mandela was in a bullish mood ahead of the match saying that there was nothing special with their opponents. “We have a better talented and balanced squad than them and we will beat them,” she said.
Game One will be at the KPA Makande Hall on Wednesday from 4pm while Game Two will be at the same venue on Thursday again from 4pm.
Action will then shift to Nairobi where the two teams will clash in Game Three and Four at the Nyayo National Stadium gymnasium. In case of a tie, Game Five will be played at the same venue to decide the champion.
