It was a tough Day 4 for Kenya on Tuesday at the ongoing Africa Wheelchair Basketball Championships in Luanda, Angola, as both national teams lost to Morocco.
The 5×5 women’s team fell 22–14 in their final contention match, while the men suffered a heavy 92–27 defeat, ending their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages.
Speaking after the men’s game at the Pavilhão de Kilamba, women’s head coach Sarah Libese remained optimistic about the future, saying the team is building a young squad.
“We didn’t do that well, but we have also picked some positives as we head back home. We have a pretty young squad that needs to be integrated with the seniors,” she said, adding that more work lies ahead once the team returns to Nairobi.
The women still had a chance to reach the quarter-finals despite losing three consecutive matches after beating Liberia in their opener. They went on to lose to hosts Angola, Algeria, South Africa, and finally Morocco.
Kenya started strongly against Morocco but faded in the second half, losing the last two quarters. Morocco’s tactical changes proved decisive, and Kenya could not respond despite strong performances from Esther Asige, Christine Mutheu, and captain Beth Wanja.
The men also had a chance to redeem themselves but were outclassed by a dominant Moroccan side, losing 92–27.
The tournament in Luanda concludes on Thursday, with winners in both the men’s and women’s categories earning direct qualification to the 2026 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation World Championships in Ottawa, Canada.
Earlier, Kenya had also competed in the 3×3 event but exited at the semi-final stage for both men and women, missing out on qualification for the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Kenya will now play their final matches on Wednesday, competing for fifth and sixth place in ranking games.
The team, led by head of delegation Joseph Ochieng, is expected back in the country on Friday, remaining optimistic and promising a stronger comeback.