Team Profile: Get ready as Kenya's national men's team, known as the Morans, gear up to tip off their 2025 FIBA AfroBasket campaign in style! With eyes set on continental glory, the Morans are hungry to make their mark at the upcoming 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers.
Last Updated on
February 20, 2024
Kendi Mwiti
Staff Writer
Coach Cliff Owuor goes to battle with a squad composed, largely, of local-based players as the Kenya Morans head to the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers Group E that tips off on February 23–25 in Tunisia.
Kenya will face off with host and reigning AfroBasket Champions Tunisia in their opening encounter. They meet 11-time AfroBasket winners Angola on day two before tackling Guinea on the last day.
Owuor says three of his foreign-based targets are set to join the team in Tunis, alongside Desmond Owili who recently played for the Diamond Valley Eagles in Australia's NBL1, offering the much-needed experience as the East African side looks to make back-to-back appearances in the continental championship.
An initial squad of 30 had been named with the Kenyan federation announcing the expected arrival of Grant Wallace who is expected to hold the technical director and head coach positions but the Australian is yet to link up with Morans. Owuor remains in charge.
The team is led by captain Victor Bosire, with Owili serving as co-captain. Both players were integral members of the Morans during their outing in Rwanda in 2021, where the team finished ninth.
Other notable players who joined the 2021 trip to Rwanda, coinciding with the Morans’ return to the continental scene after a 28-year absence, and are competing for a spot in Owuor’s squad for this assignment, include Griffin Ligare, Fidel Okoth, and Ariel Okall, among others.
The coach has announced that out of the more than ten foreign-based players named in the provisional squad, only three will join Owili in Tunisia. The playcaller has maintained constant communication with these players, ensuring that no gaps will be felt in the team.
“We have played with these three teams before, so I am not worried about the team’s chemistry. These players have been part of the system and know what is expected of them ahead of the matches. With two or three training sessions with the trio, all will be aligned,” Owuor confidently offered, adding that the team is targeting a good start to their campaign.
As the Morans focus on facing two African powerhouses, they should also be aware of Guinea's formidable presence. The Guineans are riding high on the exceptional performance of their U16 team, who defied all odds to make history as winners of the FIBA U16 Africa Championship in Monastir, Tunisia.
[Photo Credit: FIBA]
