Kenya Morans set to end 28-year absence as AfroBasket Championship jumps off

From Tuesday, August 24 until Sunday, September 5, sixteen national teams from across Africa are set to battle for continental supremacy as the 30th edition of the AfroBasket Championship jumps off at the Kigali Arena in the Rwandese capital of Kigali.

After a 28-year absence from the tournament, the Kenya men’s national team, Kenya Morans, led by head coach Liz Mills are set to make a comeback to the African championships after qualifying to the final round since their last participation in 1993.

In leading Morans to Kigali, the Australian-born Mills is set to become the first female head coach in the history of FIBA AfroBasket. Previously, Mills has served as assistant coach to the Zambia national team. She also had a brief stint in Cameroon's coaching staff during the FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers 2019 before she was appointed head coach of Kenya in the Second Round of the FIBA AfroBasket 2021 Qualifiers in February.

Kenya faces stiff competition on their return to the tournament as they are pooled in Group C alongside Nigeria who are ranked in first place in the African FIBA World rankings, Cote d’Ivoire who are fifth and Mali who are ninth.

Kenya who are ranked 19th will kickstart their tournament on Wednesday, August 25 with a match against Cote d’Ivoire, before playing Nigeria two days later then wrapping up with Mali on 29th.

The Group Phase's 24 games will be played from August 24 to 29. The winners of each group qualify automatically to the quarter-finals while the teams that finish second and third will compete for the remaining four spots in the last eight. The teams that finish last in their group will be eliminated.

This is the first time in the history of AfroBasket that four East African countries participate in the same edition of the Championship as Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan are all set to take part in the tournament. 

Africa's newest country South Sudan, who became independent in 2011, is the only debutant at this year's FIBA Africa's premier basketball tournament. Uganda are returning to the tournament for the third straight time.

Reigning champions Tunisia will look to become the first team to retain the AfroBasket crown since Angola held the trophy for six straight editions of the tournament from 1999 to 2009.

Group A: Rwanda (host), Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and Cape Verde

Group B: Tunisia, Central African Republic, Egypt and Guinea

Group C: Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya and Mali

Group D: Senegal, Cameroon, South Sudan and Uganda

Morans Squad

Griffin Ligare, Joseph Khaemba, Derrick Ogechi, Bosire Victor, Eric Mutoro, Faheem Juma, Albert Odero, Tylor Okari, Valentine Nyakinda, Tom Bush Wamukota, Ronnie Gundo, Fidel Okoth, Desmond Blacio, Ariel Okall

Additional reporting by FIBA Basketball