KPA take on Madagascar side in Africa League qualifier

Kenya Ports Authority men’s basketball team start the road to Basketball Africa League this afternoon when they take on Madagascar giants Gendarmie Nationale Basketball Club (GNBC) at Palais des Sports et de la Culture in Antananarivo, Madagascar.

The Dockers were given a bye yesterday when the championship played on a round-robin basis started with five nations showing up.

In the opening match last evening, Beau Vallon Heat from Seychelles were to face Cobra Sports Club from South Sudan. The second match of the day pitted GNBC against Comoros' Usoni.

KPA coach Sammy Kiki said his boys have well settled in Madagascar and are ready for today’s match.

“We shall treat each game as a final since all the five teams are set to qualify for the elite African league,” Kiki said.

“All the teams participating in the qualifier are club champions from their respective countries and are equally good enough to qualify for the newly introduced African league.

“We have won the national league for the past three years and we shall be going for the fourth trophy this year and we must prove in Madagascar that we are true champions. I know the top two teams will qualify for the next round of the African qualifiers, but I want to qualify as the top team,” said the former player.

KPA humiliated Ulinzi Warriors 3-0 in the final play-offs to successfully retain the title for the third year in a row last year.

Kiki named a strong 11-man squad for the qualifier and he is confident they will deliver. The team includes Congolese shooting guard Michael Kazunguzibwe.

Others are Victor Odendo and Keegan Oyugi as point guards, Ken Wachira, Evans Leting, Valentine Nyakinda, Dickson Aran and Kazunguzibwe as shooting guards.

Ariel Okal, Job Byron and Martin Kitongo as forwards. Others are Paul Ekiru and Cliff Owuor.