Feb. 24-March 2, Kigali Men: Uganda, Egypt, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya Women: Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi Schedule: TodayRwanda v Kenya (Ladies) 12:00Egypt v Uganda (Men) 2pmUganda v Burundi (Ladies) 4pmBurundi v Rwanda (Men) 6pm ThursdayKenya v Uganda (Ladies) 12:00Kenya v Uganda (Men) 2pmBurundi v Egypt (Men) 4pmRwanda v Burundi (Ladies) 6pm FridayKenya v Burundi (Men) 4pmRwanda v Egypt (Men) 6pm SaturdayBurundi v Kenya (Ladies) 12:00Uganda v Burundi (Men) 2pmRwanda v Uganda (Ladies) 4pmRwanda v Kenya (Men) 6pm SundayUganda v Burundi (Ladies) 4pmRwanda v Kenya (Ladies) 6pm MondayRwanda v Burundi (Ladies) 8amKenya v Uganda (Ladies) 10am Team’s Chances (MEN) Egypt The fact that they are ranked 4th on the continent and 35th in the world speaks volumes about them. They are also the defending champions and technically, hot favourites. They could be playing away from home but they have plenty of experience and talent in the side to coup with the unfamiliar crowd. The team is also being handled by a different coach (Zeljko Zecevic) so the odds are high that their game will change. Rwanda AFTER their impressive performance back in 2007, expectations from the home crowd are sky high. In fact, some fanatics are tipping Rwanda to upset Egypt. It is not impossible considering the quality in the side but they would have to dig deep. Rwanda are ranked 12th on the continent and are second favourites to win. Uganda The team has been away from international competitions for some time so this is a massive test for them. On top of that, they did not have ample preparations for the tournament due to financial constraints. I don’t know about other continents but in Africa, for a team to perform to its best, it must be well motivated. Kenya Just like Uganda, Kenya has been off the shelf on the international scene which explains why she is not ranked by FIBA. The team is also said to have fielded a number of inexperienced players for the competition yet history has it that for a team to perform well in a tournament of this magnitude, experience comes in very handy. Burundi Burundi has been dubbed the weakling of the tournament but I’m tipping them to pull off a few shocks. During the 2007 Zone 5 qualifiers, Rwanda and Burundi played the most entertaining basketball. So should they balance their slick game with good defensive play, they will certainly be a handful for the likes of Kenya and Uganda. Ends
