(RANDERS) Denmark - Morans playmaker Preston Bungei believes Kenya will perform in the FIBA AfroBasket  2021 Finals in Kigali, Rwanda in August.

The 16-nation tournament will take place from August 24 to September 5.

He pointed out that what the team needs to do to succeed in the continental festival is to have a solid training camp, work hard and correct their weaknesses.

"I KNEW THAT WITH OUR FULL SQUAD WE WERE CAPABLE OF BEATING SENEGAL AND ANGOLA. ALTHOUGH WE CAME UP SHORT AGAINST SENEGAL, WE SHOWED THE WORLD WHAT WE WERE CAPABLE OF IN THE GAME AGAINST ANGOLA."- Preston Bungei

Bungei said Kenya's match against Angola in Yaounde, Cameroon during the second window of the Qualifiers in February was actually the first game the whole team had played with each other.

"If we can continue to build on that team chemistry and work on executing on offense and defense, I think that we will surprise a lot of people in Rwanda," he observed to FIBA.basketball.

For the team to succeed, he noted, Morans will have to go back and watch the film from their previous games and look at the things that hurt the team.

"Off the top of my head, I know that for stretches in the games we struggled to execute on offense and had to take tough contested shots," the 26-year-old explained.

"We need to work on executing on offense and to build on our defense which remained solid."

The team, he said, will have to continue to build up team chemistry and knowing everything which are vital to team success. All of this can be addressed during the training camp before AfroBasket.

"I would go to war with this group of guys against any country and firmly believe that we have a chance to win. It is vital that the team have a solid training camp," Bungei, who plies his trade with Randers Cimbria in Denmark Basketligaen, opined.

Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) have already announced they will call foreign-based players in Nairobi in May to start strict preparations.

Bungei, who sat out the First Round of the Qualifiers in November because of documentation, is determined to shake off the disappointment and put Kenya on the Africa basketball map in the Kigali-showdown in August.

"I was excited to have the opportunity to play for and represent Kenya. Not many players get a chance to represent their own, let alone any country at the international level."

He went on saying: "I saw that the Morans were on the rise and had a promising group of players who were determined to put Kenyan basketball on the map. I was grateful to join them on that quest."

When Bungei arrived in Nairobi in November, he was excited to start preparations for Rwanda tournament as he hadn't played a game in nearly eight months.

But the 1.98m (6ft 6in) guard also knew there was a small possibility that he might not play since he did not have a Kenyan passport.

"When the news did break the night before the Senegal game, that I wasn't going to be able to play, I would be lying if I didn't say that I was disappointed.

"I had just spent a month preparing and training with the guys and now I was going to have to sit and watch from the sidelines."

He did not want to bring negativity to the team and wanted them to focus on winning the games. He cheered the guys on from the bench.

Bungei was happy that Morans got the job done against Mozambique and put the team in a great position heading into the second window in Cameroon.

"I knew that with our full squad we were capable of beating Senegal and Angola. Although we came up short against Senegal, we showed the world what we were capable of in the game against Angola." 

He said it was an honour and a blessing to be able to represent Kenya and be a part of history in Yaounde.

"When I am out there, it's much bigger than just myself or my teammates who are playing. We are representing the country as a whole.

"It has been one of the best experiences I've had in my basketball career thus far."

On beating Angola, the eleven-time Africa champions, Bungei explained his role in that historic win that booked the AfroBasket ticket after a nearly a three-decade wait.

"I just tried to lead the guys and be the glue that held everyone together. Whether playmaking, being vocal on defense, or scoring, I just wanted to use my experience and help put us in the best position to win.

"But every single person played a huge part in our win and qualification. I am happy that I was able to contribute to our success and help us secure our spot in AfroBasket 2021," he opened out. 

Bungei was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA to a Kenyan father and an American mother. He played his first year of professional basketball in Zadar Croatia for KK Jazine Arbansi for the 2018-2019 season..

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