NAIROBI (Kenya) - Under the tutelage of George Mayienga, Kenya Lionesses are busy at work readying for what is likely to be a grueling fight for a place in the 2025 Women’s AfroBasket. The East African side finished third in the 2023 FIBA Africa Zone Five Women’s AfroBasket qualifiers, missing out on a place in the continental showpiece. As they head to Cairo, Egypt for this year’s edition, set for Sunday, 2 to Saturday, 8 February, expectations are high. After two weeks of training, the tactician admits that he still is unsure of the availability of his best soldiers led by the US-based quartet of stalwarts Felmas Koranga and Madina Okot as well as siblings Grace and Ruthie Mbugua and Mary Nyakundi, who are playing in the American collegiate leagues.
“This is a tough position to be in as most of these players are available for the African competition so we have to fight with the available workforce in the qualifiers. We are also missing some of the players, like Rose Ouma, who were a key part of the squad in the 2021 qualifiers. With the time we have been accorded to prepare, the process for getting a squad is tougher,” Mayienga admits. The tactician will rely heavily on the experienced duo of Rwanda Energy Group (REG) forward Victoria Reynolds and Lithuania-based Mercy Wanyama who Mayienga reveals has been in constant communication with him as she prepares to join the rest for the trip to Cairo. Fresh from taking part in the Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA), Reynolds, who was instrumental for the Lionesses in the 2021 qualifiers, on debut, is already training with the team.
Despite it being her first rodeo with the national team in 2021, Reynolds was named the competition's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the best small forward as Koranga picked the power forward accolade. On her part, Wanyama, who featured for REG in the WBLA qualifiers in November, was part of the 3x3 national squad that settled for bronze in the Africa Cup hosted in Madagascar in December. “In 2021 she (Reynolds) was not experienced but she was able to deliver. Heading to this competition, we will hope that she, alongside players like Wanyama can bring the much-needed experience to guide the younger players who are not on the same level of experience. We have players like Natalie Akinyi, Seline Okumu, and others who were part of the squad, and their availability gives us confidence even as we look to blend with younger talents,” the tactician explains. Up against hosts Egypt, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi, Mayienga believes the best-prepared side will carry the day. “Every country has what it takes to compete and all want to qualify. We cannot overlook any side. It will be one team at a time as each opponent has their style of play. We have to counter each team based on how they line up against our team,” the coach concluded.
The coach is looking to play some friendly matches against Kenyan clubs, this week, as part of the team’s preparations heading to Egypt.
FIBA