Top guns champions Kenya Commercial Bank Lions and Co-operative Bank will be in action as this year’s national basketball league enters the second month with nine matches on the card in Nairobi and Nakuru this weekend.
On Saturday, Co-operative Bank, who narrowly crashed 60-59 to rivals KCB Lions in their last tie, will host Kenya Ports Authority at the traditional Nyayo National Stadium venue starting at 4pm.
On Sunday at the same venue, Lions, who are focused to win their third title in a row, have an easy fixture against lowly rated but impressive Strathmore University.
New blood
The first leg match between Co-op Bank and KPA will have something to cheer about going by the performance of the two clubs in the 2009 competition.
Both teams have injected new blood in their playing units and that makes today’s showdown difficult to predict the outcome.
Forward Eugene Genga, Ben Mufutu and Allan Ouma have won the hearts of many fans for coach Carey Oketch’s Co-op Bank.
KPA on the other hand have a young team which played an impressive game beating Terrorists 68-59 during their first tour of Nairobi last month.
Geofrey Omondi and Tonny Okello have teamed up well with veterans Dan Okwiri, Patrick Kirui and the Odari brothers, Musa and Francis.
After losing 89-83 to International Christian Centre in over-time in Nairobi, the dockmen cannot afford again to drop another point at this early stage of the league.
Women’s defending champions KPA will rely on Yvonne Akinyi, Irene Murambi and Everline Akoth as they also play away against Yana.
Nairobi-based Yana have yet to make their presence felt in this year’s competition and visiting KPA are favourites to maitain their unbeaten run.
Sprite Storms, a team whose performance has started worrying their supporters, face Strathmore University in a tie they should not take things or granted.
Disappointed fans
After being humiliated 48-26 by KPA at home, Storms’ Anjella Luchivya and Yvonne Mashedi have a big task of restoring confidence of the team and the disappointed fans.
In the lower competition, new-comers Kenya College of Accountancy will take on Mennonites at 10am while Parklands Baptist formerly Java Warriors, will travel to Nakuru to meet the aggressive hosts Nakuru Club.
On Sunday, unbeaten KCB Lions look to keep their 100 per cent record when they entertain inexperienced Strathmore University.
Coach Francis Ngunjiri is again likely to rest his veterans leaving super star Luka Lukongo and Eric Omari to run the show. But Victor Odendo, Tobias Onyango and Ronnie Nungo will also be on standby by.
Fixtures Saturday in Nairobi:KCA v Mennonites (10am), Storms v Strathmore (12pm), Yana v KPA (2pm), Co-op Bank v KPA (4pm). In Nakuru; Nakuru Club v Parklands Baptist (12pm).
Sunday; Blazers v ANU (10am), KCA v Mennonites (12pm), Strathmore v KCB Lions (2pm), USIU-A v Lomboritz (4pm).