PHOTOS: Kenya Morans make history at Nyayo Gymnasium
Basketball
By
Waweru Titus
| Jan 19, 2020
The Kenya national basketball team outclassed South Sudan 74-68 on the last day of the FIBA Afro basketball pre-qualifiers at the Nyayo National Stadium Gymnasium.
Morans proceeded to FIBA Afrobasket 2021 qualifiers set in November after a pulsating clash that was marred by confusion before kick-off on Saturday.
The Kenyans were able to overcome the Sudanese after improving on rebounds and denied their opponents chances to score three points which they seemed to have perfected in earlier matches.
Morans join Angola, Senegal, and Mozambique in the qualifiers where the top three will qualify for Africa’s top men’s tournament in 2021.
Questions emerged over Nyayo Stadium Gymnasium’s viability following crowd trouble before the pre-qualifier final showdown.
The clash which was scheduled to kick off at 6:30 pm local time had to be delayed for more than an hour after a significant number of fans stormed in the court as the teams warmed up.
The crowd, which seemed to increase in size flooded the gymnasium in minutes, forcing players from both teams to vacate the court.
FIBA officials had to clear the court for the match to resume.
Morans battled hard to dispatch Somalia 102-77 on in day 3 in a match that saw Eric Mutoro display his class, leading Kenya’s charge in the first quarter. Somalia rallied back to take the game at the break 46-44 after Mahad Haji’s three-pointer.
South Sudan had maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament after brushing aside Burundi 100-59, before collapsing against aggressive Kenyans.