Coach Obilo looking to build on Eliud Owalo tournament glory

Zetech Sparks head coach Maurice Obilo says his side will build on their good form at the Eliud Owalo Foundation basketball tournament, heading to the league playoffs.

The side stunned league holders and favourites Kenya Ports Authority (KPA)to lift the inaugural trophy, an achievement the tactician says is a great morale booster heading to the league playoffs.

“It feels good to have achieved such a feat and I am proud of the girls. They believed they could do it and executed well. This is the momentum we hope to keep to the end of the season.

KPA are a big team and we have to respect that. They are also more mature and experienced so while this win meant a lot, we know they are better than us. We just got our game plan right so we cannot be complacent going forward,”Obilo offered.

Obilo says his side picked crucial lessons, in previous encounters with the Dockers who remain unbeaten in the regular league, that helped give them victory.

“We have never beaten KPA in the league but have been picking lessons and learning on how to handle the game against them. Some of these things cannot be coached, they pick the experience with more play time and playing better teams and I believe my players are getting to the point where they believe they can play any team,” Obilo added.

Additionally, the tactician was happy to have found a perfect replacement for the marauding point guard, Mary Lisa Omondi who has since moved to USIU, in the tournament's Most Valuable Player (MVP) Mitchelle Soukoujou.

“We picked her at the right time as we needed her services. We are happy she has already settled in and has gelled well with the rest of the squad and playing well,” he said.

Having come short in the last season, Obilo says the team is not thinking about the playoffs, just yet, as they have a few second leg matches to play. “We are taking it one game at a time so now we cannot be thinking about the playoff or even winning the league. We will plan for those when we get there,” he concluded.

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