NAIROBI, Kenya, April 1, 2026 – National women’s wheelchair basketball coach Sarah Libese says the future is bright for the team despite a poor performance at the African Championships in Luanda, Angola.
Libese says there are a number of young players who can transform the team into a powerhouse if nurtured and developed well.
“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.
The team lost 22-14 to Morocco on Tuesday evening to all but kiss goodbye to their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
It came hot on the heels of losses to Liberia, Angola, Algeria and South Africa.
Despite starting out strong, the Kenyans were undone by superior tactics from the North Africans who had the expertise of high pointer Aicha Draoui, Ilham Sabraoui (guard), low pointer Hasna El Aoung and Mina Saidassalam (guard) to steer them to a narrow win.
Tough outing for men
The same fate befell their male counterparts who were walloped 92-27 by the Moroccans as well.
The competition winds up on Thursday with the winners of the men and women’s category grabbing a direct ticket to the 2026 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation ( IWBF) World Championships in Ottawa, Canada, this September.
Both Kenyan teams will now play in the fifth-place playoff in which they will be seeking a happy ending to a woeful campaign.
