KENYA : Lions off to Lagos

Regional champions, KCB Lions, jet out on Wednesday for Lagos, Nigeria, to participate in the 21st Africa Masculine Club Championships.

Lions team manager, George Omondi "Nyundo", confirmed the travel arrangements, but said the final team for the 10-day champioships will be named on Tuesday.

KCB, who will be playing in their third continental show since their 1982 debut, are upbeat despite their Play Offs semi-finals loss to national champions, Ulinzi Warriors at the weekend.

Lions were eliminated from the finals on a 2-1 basis (78-74, 68-53, 90-83)by the soldiers who will battle Co-operative Bank of Kenya in the finals.

Lions will face Africa’s top teams, among them, defending champions, ABC of Ivory Coast and last year’s losing finalists 1st Agosto of Angola.

The other contenders are Dodan Warriors and Plateau Peaks of Nigeria, Petro Atletico(Angola), Inter Club (DRC), Back (Guinea), African Sports and Zenith (Ivory Coast) and ESPN of South Africa.

Petro Atletico de Luanda flew into Lagos last Friday a week ahead of the first jump-ball on 17 at the Sports Hall of the Lagos National Stadium.

Meanwhile, Kenya Ports Authority women’s team will be without their newly-recruited players during the play-off matches, coach Antony Ojukwu confirmed, adds Phionah Mwadilo.

The two former Telkom Kenya, Caroline Arato and Mwajuma Suleiman, will miss the play-off in Mombasa after their former team refused to release them in time.

They play Telkom on Saturday in Mombasa in the first leg. Ojukwu said the team is patient with the players and are preparing for the East and Central and the National classic league next year.

He said that the two are a blessing to the team and a boost to the guards in the team.