NAIROBI (Kenya) - Rose Ouma will captain the Kenya Lionesses to the 2021 FIBA Women's AfroBasket Qualifiers in Kigali, Rwanda from July 12-17.

Head coach George Mayienga gave Ouma the mantle because of her leadership qualities and experience and believes she is the player to lead the team's quest to continental glory.

Dubai-based Ouma was a member of the national team that played the Qualifiers in Kampala, Uganda in 2019 but because of commitment was unavailable to parade during the Finals in Dakar, Senegal that same year.

"I WANT TO BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TEAM. I AM READY TO SHARE WHAT I HAVE WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION."- Rose Ouma

Now the 36-year old Al Nasr guard is ready to take the Lionesses to their first ever back-to-back AfroBasket championship - her first- and she is aware the only way that will be achieved is for everybody to put in hard work.

Ouma told FIBA.basketball ahead of the team's departure for Kigali that she is ready and focused for the task ahead and is determined to give it her best shot as she leads the Kenya team.

Kenya will face off against favourites Egypt, debutants South Sudan and host Rwanda in the tournament that throws off at the iconic Kigali Arena.

The winner will join Cape Verde who became the first team to qualify for the show joining host Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, Mali and Mozambique from the last championships as the top four.

Rose Ouma

Ouma said the team is much younger compared to the last one and they only have one mission - to compete with the rest in the continents biggest festival that is just over two months away.

"To be honest, I had an indifferent tournament in Kampala. For whatever reason, I did not play well at all. But here I am and ready to put that at the back of my mind and this can only be undone by playing well," she said.

"I am working hard since I arrived home two weeks ago and Kigali should be a different kettle of fish. The result will prove."

She is ready to correct the wrongs in Kampala: "God brought me back to this group for a reason," she observes. "I want to bring something new to the team. I am ready to share what I have with the younger generation."

Ouma debuted for Kenya in the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria and returned to the Pan Africa festival in Algiers, Algeria four years later. She played college basketball in USA between 2006-2010 for Wayland Baptist.

Kenya look to return to FIBA Women's AfroBasket for the second time in a row

She is convinced the Lionesses mixture of young and experienced players will deliver. Only four players Mercy Wanyama, Vilma Achieng, Felmas Koranga and herself remain from the squad that did duty in Kampala two years ago.

"There are a lot of individual talents in this team. It is a good mixture. It is just a matter of building cohesion and understanding one another since many have not played together," she said.

"It is advantageous to have experienced players in the team because this is a good blend for success. It is upon each one of us to understand our roles in the team as the technical bench works hard to have us operate as one unit which is important.

"We are giving the best in training every day. There is not much time left to the tournament and besides, there are observations that we must adhere to during trainings due to corvid."

She noted that every team that Kenya will meet this week in Kigali are all currently working hard to earn the sole ticket and if Lionesses really want it, then they will have to put up the fight.

"There is no two way about it. We will have to do a lot more out there on the court. We must work hard every day in training if we are to get the results that we desire."

Mayienga wants the 1.78m (5ft 9in) to be the team's play-maker because this is where he thinks her strength lies because of her vision, good passing and protection of the ball besides her vast experience.

"She is most lethal playing in the one man or two man positions. That's where I want her to operate considering that she is also a good leader and is so exposed," he said.

And like a soldier ready for battle, Ouma nods saying she is ready to do whatever the tactician instructs if that effort will secure the zone's only ticket to the finals for Kenya.

"I am ready to play one-man, two-man, three-man and if push comes four-man and why not even five-man if push comes to shove. I am ready to slug with the big girls," said Ouma who also handles Al Nasr's U14 side.

Her greatest continental accolade remains leading the self supporting Eagle Wings to a bronze medal- the first Kenyan club ever to make a podium finish in the Africa Women Club Championships in Meknes, Morocco in 2013.

FIBA