FIBA 3X3 Africa Cup: Kenya women’s senior team in action.

The fourth edition of the FIBA 3x3 Africa Cup kicks off today in its two-day format in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.

Of the teams gunning for the top seat in Africa is the Kenya women’s senior side, currently ranked as the second-best side in Africa bar Egypt in the updated 3x3 Federation ranking points.

Kenya boasts 251,029 points, with Egypt leading the way with 377,384. A big gap to contend with, but not according to the women’s 3x3 national team head coach Tonny Ochieng who in preparation for the event stressed Kenya’s quest.

“The Africa Cup will definitely provide us a platform to qualify for more international tournaments, a key thing for us in terms of testing ourselves against the rest of the world. We are ranked as the second-best side in Africa (behind Egypt) and our plan is to make sure that we rise to the top,” he noted.

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Kenya is in pool B with Benin (second seed), Democratic Republic of Congo (sixth seed) and Morocco (seventh seed).

Pool A consists of the reigning champions Egypt, Tunisia, Madagascar and Rwanda.

Players

The Kenyan team will be represented by 4 ladies namely.

1. Christine Akinyi – Zetech University

2. Mary Ann Nyagaki – Equity Hawks

3. Mary Lisa Omondi – Zetech University

4. Jemimah Night Aloo – KPA.

Christine Akinyi is expected to lead the team having been in the 3x3 Africa Cup squad in 2019.

Today’s games.

Kenya’s first game pool game will be against Morocco at 4:45pm (EAT) followed by the second game against Benin at 8:45pm (EAT).

*The third group game will take place on Sunday, the same day when the tournament is expected to come to a close.

Kenya ranked fifth in the 2019 Africa Cup tournament in Kampala, Uganda, only behind finalists Egypt, Mali, Uganda and Nigeria.

The current side will be hoping to improve on the strides made then, when the Kenyan side only won 1 game – a 21-14 victory over the then tenth seeded Burundi, splitting the pair of defeats to Uganda and Nigeria.