Basketball in Africa

Today at YMCA
Men
Warriors v Falcons
(8.30pm)
Women
A1 v Sparks
(6.30pm)
Division III results
Jackets 66-71 City Oil
Bush Court 71-53 TLC

Three years after their last MTN-Fuba League finals appearance, Falcons don’t look any bit like a team whose drought is about to end. That loss to Power in 2008 might have faded but the start to this season could be changed by events of the past week.

The signing of guard Abdullahi Ramadhan and forward Philip Alweny has raised expectations as they seek to close the gap on the recent duopoly of Kyambogo Warriors and DMark Power.

Most of the attention will be reserved for Ramadhan, commonly referred to as Dulah, when Falcons face his former side Warriors at YMCA court today. “There won’t be any miracles. (Success) is not a matter of days or weeks,” Dulah, who spent the past two years with Warriors, winning one title, said. Starting tonight, Dulah might sort out Falcons’ inability to create plays. “He is the kind of player who releases the ball and is very experienced,” said Kenyan Richard Osano Omondi in welcoming his new teammate. Alweny, too, improves their size where Warriors hold a huge advantage in the Malinga brothers – Eric and Henry – and Michael Kariuki.

Enabu boost
However, the return to fitness of guard Ivan Enabu is the real boost to add to the armoury of Ronnie Kasewu. Beating champions Power 93-80 gave Warriors a huge lift before newly-promoted Charging Rhino deflated the good feeling in coach Mandy Juruni’s first season. Their season is now 3-1.
“Even with the new additions, I still think we are the better team. The psyche within the team is like what we had against Power,” Juruni warned. Unlike him, his opposite Zsirivar Mwogi is only acclimatising to coaching Falcons, who are playing their first game since the death of their patron John Ssimbwa. The club proprietor and financier passed away on June 12 due to brain damage.

Ssimbwa treated his players like a father and the team has vowed to win the championship in his memory. Their credentials will be tested sternly tonight.