Wanyama confident in Lionesses' chances

National women's basketball side, Kenya Lionesses, are in Rwanda where they begin their hunt for a ticket to this year's Afrobasket championship against Egypt, hosts Rwanda and newbies South Sudan on July 12. 

Lionesses centre player Mercy Wanyama who has been with the team since it began non-residential training in June says, though it will be no walk in the park, the team is looking to do one better than they did two years ago and qualify for the continental showpiece as the Zone Five representatives. 

Wanyama was one of the players in the last squad that qualified for the Afrobasket courtesy of a wild card. The Spain-based player was the leading rebounder for the then Ronnie Owino-coached squad as they finished 11th out of 12 teams that competed in the edition held in Dakar, Senegal.

 "The job ahead is not easy but it is very much possible to conquer our zone as proceed to the continental competition. We have to take it one game at a time while according each opponent the respect they deserve and execute our plays well," said Wanyama who plies her trade with AD Cortegada, a Spanish division two side. 

Wanyama believes they can turn the tables on Egypt and top the zone. "We have to approach the game with clinical precision and execute at all times," she said. "We cannot allow Egypt to make any runs as that gives them an edge over us. We also have to defend like our lives depend on it," she added during an interview with FIBA.

In the absence of the experienced hands of Hilda Luvandwa who led Kenya's onslaught in the 2019 zone five and Afrobasket editions, Felmas Koranga leads Kenya's offense ahead of the games. 

“I love my country and playing for the national team was something I was looking forward to,” Koranga said. “My dad represented Kenya in soccer at the continental level and my brother (Ariel Okall) is currently playing for the national team (Morans)so it was something I was really looking forward to, especially because I look up to both of them," Koranga said in an interview with her college team Troy Trojans.