Bosire exudes confidence in Morans’ AfroCan title chances in Angola

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) men’s league 2019 Most Valuable Player (MVP), Victor Bosire, who will captain national basketball team Kenya Morans to the second edition of the FIBA AfroCan says the squad is ready to contest for the title.

The skipper admits that there is pressure for the team to replicate their results from the inaugural edition but maintains that it serves as a push to work smart as they target the trophy.

Bosire was part of the squad for inaugural edition until the eleventh hour when the technical bench was forced to replace him due to work commitments that meant he would be unavailable.

Having gotten the chance to guide the team in their second run set for Angola from 8 to 16 July, the shooting guard is confident the team has enough talent, skill and aggression to go the distance.

“We have had enough time to prepare for this competition and I am confident those that make the final squad will have what it takes. We have a squad that understands the Morans philosophy and the new players have settled in well and are ready for battle,” Bosire offered.

He continued, “We have four players who featured in the inaugural edition and they bring that experience to the squad. The rest of us have also been involved in the AfroBasket and World Cup qualifiers so the squad is solid. We will bring the same intensity that the team is known for and face every challenge confidently as we work our way to the final.”

With Rwanda-based Tom Wamukota and Oman-based Fidel Okoth having joined training, the Cliff Owuor-led side has addressed size concerns. US-based Derrick Ogechi who will make his debut, after missing the AfroBasket action despite travelling to Rwanda, is also tipped to add to the presence on the paint.

Morans face Gabon and Ivory Coast in pool A. Gabon are making a comeback to continental basketball since 2015 when they featured in the AfroBasket and their meeting with Kenya will be a first in recent times. Morans beat Ivory Coast in the inaugural AfroCan but lost when the sides met in the AfroBasket.

In Mali, Morans bounced back from a disappointing 82-65 loss to eventual winners Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the event's opener to beat Nigeria 81-69, Ivory Coast 85-83, Tunisia 82-76 and Morocco 96-66 in the semis to make it to the final, losing to DRC again.

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