by Ismail Dhakaba Kigongo
Kampala
Friday at YMCA
Men: Power v Warriors (8pm)
Women: KCC v A-1 (6pm)
Going into Friday’s game one in the best-of-seven series MTN-FUBA Basketball League finals, DMark Power star guard Isaac Afidra is worried that the long rest they have had since their semi-final against KIU could work against them.
Having completed their best-of-five series with KIU in four games – winning 3-1 about 11 days ago – Power have rested for over a week as opposed to their opponents – Warriors – who only overcame Falcons 3-2 on Sunday.
“Though it’s supposed to offer a breather, the rest has disorganised us a bit as players’ rhythm is distorted,” Afidra, arguably the best player in the regular season, told Daily Monitor. But Warriors coach Gad Eteu is not falling into the champions’ trap. “They must have been working hard and watching the tough series we played (against Falcons),” Eteu said.
In the interview, Afidra shed the favourites tag as they seek to keep the crown. “At this point, they (Warriors) have the momentum which makes the series balanced. Game one will give us the rhythm we need going forward.” “Power is a totally different team than Falcons. We shall use the first game to design a strategy for the entire series,” Eteu said.