Kenya women’s 5×5 Wheelchair Basketball team took to a spirited Angola national side on Sunday, day three of the ongoing Africa Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Luanda , Angola, losing to the home side 18-36.
Speaking right after the final whistle, inside the Pavilaho Multiuso de Kilamba, national team head coach Sarah Libese was still upbeat with her charges , rulling out a stage fright in the packed , sold out Pavilaho, the home of Africa powerhouse basketball team Petro De Luanda.
” We came out well, my guys are still young and the mistakes we saw today are very much common with a young team on a big stage like this one,” Libese told media, amidst the cheering Angolans.
” Now we have no choice but to beat Morocco and Algeria, then wait for South Africa, but all in all, we won’t miss the podium,” promised the head coach.
Libese’s counterpart Monis Marques however, has praised the Kenyans for their speed and stamina, arguing that Kenya is still a threat in the tournament, wishing them well in their forthcoming games.
Kenya started out slow, losing the first quarter, but coming into the second quarter, Libese made changes, bringing in U-25 prodigies Christine Mutheu coming in as Guard and Ashley Autai as power forward , changes that pushed Marques’ side headed to the half time leading, 23-16.
Libese introduced another power forward Phyllis Warioko Nyambura and captain Beth Wanja in center and later Guard Eunice Otieno, veterans that ran the show headed to the last quarter, unfortunately for Kenya, a defensive Angolan side showed up for the occasion infront of the home fans and finally carried the day 36-18.
Earlier on, Kenya’s men also we’re not lucky against Algeria, losing the tie 68-27.
Kenya’s men have a chance to redeem themselves on Monday when they play lowly ranked DRC while the ladies have a doubble against Algeria in the morning, and later the AmaWheela girls, ( South Africa) in the evening, chances that Kenya can not afford to blow off on Monday.
