RWANDA : 2009 Fiba-Africa Club Championships - Petro, APR clash for group top spot

BY OSTINE ARINAITWE

Fiba Africa club championship
Today
Inter –club vs ASPAC
Mazembe vs Kano Pillars
APR vs Petro Atletico
Primeiro vs Warriors

It is set to be a titanic battle when APR clashes with 2006 champions Petro Atletico of Angola this afternoon at Amahoro stadium for the right to top group A in the final game of the group stages.

Local champions APR have been in impressive form in their first two opening matches after seeing off Congo’s Mazembe 92-59,and Nigeria’s Kano Pillars 92-77, but in Petro they will be coming up a formidable opponent, as the former won the cup in 2006 and also won their opening matches against Mazembe and Kano Pillars.

Cliff Owuor, APR’s Kenyan coach is keen to win today’s match, reasoning that it is good for the confidence of the team and also the group winner plays the last team in the other group.
“Defeating a very good team like Petro which is among the favourities to win this championship will give my team a lot of confidence in the quarter-finals.
“We also want to finish in top position in our group, because that means that our opponents in the quarter-finals will be the last team in Group B, which is sort of an advantage” Owuor said.

Meanwhile, Warriors from Uganda will need a divine miracle when they play defending champions Primeiro de Agosto of Angola.
The Ugandans have lost all their matches and another loss today will see them eliminated from the tournament.