“I am coming back to finish the job”- Coach Cliff (Kenya) eyes FIBA 2023!

Assisted by Collins Gaya, Head Coach of the Nairobi City Thunder, the long-awaited return of Kenya National Basketball Team Head Coach, Cliff Owuor is finally here! After being away since 2020, working with the Rwanda Patriotic Army (APR) men’s team, Owuor desires to train the Kenya Morans at Nyao National Stadium in Nairobi from the 22nd of January, 2022, replacing Australian coach Liz Mills, whose short-term contract had expired. Focus is set on the championship at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, a two-week event from 10th of august to 25th September in Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines respectively. Kenya will be touching base in Kigali on the 25th of February for the qualifiers. Ahead of this, a provisional team has been provided, including new athletes from the diaspora; Orion Onyango (New York, USA), Tony Maina (Beijing, China), Sammy Opel (UAE).

The national team records at the AfroBasket series in Kigali this past year showed the nation still has a lot of room left to grow (finishing 9th out of the 16 total teams that played). The tournament will be three days long from 25th- 27th February in the newly-established Dakar arena in Dakar, Senegal. Upon arrival, the morans will play the Democratic Republic of Congo (25th February) then play Senegal (27th February),  and finally Egypt (26th February).

PROCEDURES OF AFROBASKET

• 31 Aug 2022 Draw for #FIBAWC 2023 Qualifiers
• 22 Nov 2022 1st Window | Qualifiers
• 21 Feb 2022 2nd Window | Qualifiers
• 27 Jun 2022 3rd Window | Qualifiers
• 22 Aug 2023 24th Window | Qualifiers
• 7 Nov 2023 25th Window | Qualifiers
• 20 Feb 2022 6th Window | Qualifiers
• 6 Mar 2023 Draw for #FIBAWC 2023
• 25 Aug 2023 Start of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023

 

Further,  KBF Secretary Ambrose Kisoi, named a prospective team to undergo preparations.

Kenyan squad:

1. Griffin Ligare – Nairobi City Thunder
2. Victor Bosire – Ulinzi Warriors
3. Orion Onyango – USA, New York
4. Eugene Adera – EMYBA
5. Joseph Khaemba – Ulinzi Warriors
6. Eric Mutoro – Ulinzi Warriors
7. Victor Ochieng – Equity Bank
8. Preston Bungei – Melbourne, Australia
9. Faheem Juma – Equity Bank
10. Tylor Okari – Bakken Bears, Denmark
11. Albert Odero – USA, New York
12. Tony Maina – Beijing, China
13. Sammy Opel – UAE
14. Valentine Nyakinda – Ulinzi Warriors
15. Ariel Okal – Dhofar, Oman
16. Joel Awich – Azrieux, Ufaransa
17. Job Byron – KPA
18. Bush Wamukota – Patriots, Rwanda
19. Desmond Owili – Melbourne, Australia
20. Fidel Okoth – Nizwa, Oman

Technical bench:

Head Coach: Cliff Owuor

Assistant Coach: Collins Gaya

Team Manager: Mercine Milimu

Assistant Team Managers: Moses Wanjara and Dennis Opiyo

Team Doctor: Duncan Ndeda

Team Physiotherapist: Erastus Wainaina