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WBL-AQ: Can KPA surmount Al Ahly's pressure and qualify?
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Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 01.11.24. | 10:30
Equity Bank Hawks have been relegated to 5-8 place classification matches after the quarters loss
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) faces a herculean test in their quest to qualify for the Women's Basketball League-Africa (WBL-Africa) as they take on unbeaten Al Ahly Sporting of Egypt in the semis set for 1 November from 3 pm.
The 11-team Zone Five Qualifiers, ongoing in Zanzibar, will see the finalists gain automatic slots to the continental showpiece set for from 6 to 15 December in Dakar, Senegal.
KPA, the Zone defending champions, face a side that has yet to lose a match, as they have won all their four matches so far with 100 points or more.
On their part, the reigning African silver medalists lost to APR in the group stage.
They, however, won the Kenyan derby in the quarters against Equity Bank Hawks to reach the last four.
"Our target was the semis, as that is one step away from automatic qualification. Now that we are here, consistency is what we will be looking to achieve in this game if we are to win as we are facing a tough side," head coach Antony Ojukwu told Mozzart Sport.
In last year’s qualifiers to the same competition that ran as Africa Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) before rebranding this year, KPA and Rwanda Energy Group (REG) got the two tickets, the Dockers heading to the continental showpiece as the Zone champions.
They finished second in the AWBL hosted in Alexandria, losing to hosts Alexandria Sporting.
"We picked valuable lessons last year when we played Alexandria Sporting in the AWBL Group Phase and Final. Al Ahly have an almost similar playing style. They have a solid squad; they are a fast side and can shoot. We will have to work on slowing then on transition and cutting off their shots. If we do not take our feet off the floor, they will punish us, so we have to be present and play as a team," Ojukwu added.
The other semi-final in Zanzibar is an all-Rwandese show with REG taking on APR.
The latter won the local league, and the reigning Zone silver medalists are keen to overturn that result as APR looks to qualify for the African competition for the first time.
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