France-based Joel Awich has been included in the Kenya Morans squad for the second and final round of the Afrobasket qualifiers Group “B” that tip off in Yaounde, Cameroon next week.
The six-foot-seven tall Awich, who missed the first round of the qualifiers held in Kigali, Rwanda in December due to hitches with his travel documents, is among the four foreign-based players who will be flying straight to Yaounde from their bases according to Kenya Basketball Federation treasurer Peter Orero.
Other diaspora players who will connect straight to the west African nation are Denmark-based duo of Preston Kiprono Bungei and Tylor Okari who had league fixtures in Denmark on Friday, and Airel Okal who left the country last Friday to seal a deal with an Omani club.
“I can confirm that all the four players have been sent air tickets and should be travelling straight to Cameroon due to the strict Covid-19 measures world wide. The four have confirmed receiving their tickets and will be in Cameroon in time for the qualifiers,” Orero said.
This will be the first time Bungei and Awich, who also have American citizenship, will be playing for Kenya.
Bungei was in Kigali for the first round of the qualifiers but was cleared late by Fiba Africa and could not feature for Kenya.
Kenya lost to Senegal and Angola and beat Mozambique to stand third in the group.
The Morans can qualify for the African finals for the firsts time in 19 years by clinching third spot in the group.
They just need to match any result by fourth placed Mozambique to end their long absence at Africa’s top basketball table.
“I cannot wait to be in Cameroon to don my national team colours for the first time ever. I promise my fellow Kenyans fireworks,” the soft spoken son of former Kenya international women basketball star Lynn Awich said on phone from France.
‘Good job’
Awich said he followed some of the Morans games in Kigali and said they did a good job.
He said that it was now his turn to give his little contribution in the court and see how far the team can go.
The Kenyan-American, who was born in Nairobi on April 22, 1993 said he was confident Morans would qualify for the Afrobasketball finals to be staged in Rwanda next August.
Awich currently plies his trade with Dax-Gamarde in France, a team he joined last year as a replacement for Jourdan Demuynck who left for Prairie View A & M Panthers basketball team.
Also in the Cameroon-bound team after missing the Kigali trip is Tom Bush Wamukota.