Morans face Mali in do or die clash in Afrobasket final group stage match

The men’s national basketball team, Kenya Morans, face the risk of group stage elimination from the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket tournament currently taking place at the Kigali Arena in Rwanda should they fail to record a win in their last group match against Mali on Sunday afternoon.

After a 28 year absence from the continental scene, Morans have found it hard to get to terms with the fast paced, free flowing play of the very finest in the land. Pooled in Group C alongside top ranked sides in Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Mali, the Liz Mills coached side lost two of their opening games. They went down in a spirited 88-70 defeat to Ivory Coast in their opening match before losing 55-71 to Nigeria who are the top ranked side in the FIBA African rankings without even threatening.

Heading into the last do or die clash against Mali however, Morans’ only respite is the fact that a win would be enough to still keep them in the competition as teams that finish second and third in the group battle for four spots remaining in the last eight by playing a qualification round after the winners of each group qualify automatically to the quarter finals.

Equally, just as Morans, Mali have lost both of their two matches against Nigerian and Ivory Coast. The Malians however have a better point difference than Kenya as they sit third on the log ahead of Morans.

In this uphill task ahead, Kenya go into this must win match with the last time they won a game at AfroBasket being back in 1993 when they beat Algeria 80-50 in the group phase in Nairobi. In this last match, according to Mills, Kenya cannot afford the luxury of not executing if they harbor any hopes of staying in the tournament past the groups.

“Players need to understand that unless you execute you cannot compete at this level. But it is never a failure always a lesson,” she remarked after Kenya’s loss to Nigeria.

Morans will need Tylor Okari Ongwae to shake off his off colour performance against Nigeria and for Albert Odero to pick up where he left it at if we are to record a win. Overall, Morans need to work as a unit for this course.

Will they replicate their heroics against Angola in the AfroBasket qualifiers and get their first win in the tournament since 1993?

The match starts at 1300EAT,