KPA gets new coach ahead of Women Basketball Africa League
KPA point guard Natalie Mwangale in action against Magic Stomers from Uganda in the Women Basketball League Africa qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi on November 12, 2025.
What you need to know:
- Libyan coach Babil Kabalan has been brought on board to give the team the necessary boost.
- Kenyan champions beefed up their squad with two American players ahead of the tournament.
Libyan national, Babil Kabalan, will serve as interim coach of Kenya Ports Authority, replacing long-serving coach Anthony Ojukwu, ahead of Women Basketball Africa League final tour, which tips off in Cairo next week.
This comes days after the Kenyan champions beefed up their squad with two American players ahead of the tournament, which has attracted top clubs from Africa.
KPA’s team manager, Evans Okwera, on Thursday confirmed that coach Kabalan, who has also served as the assistant coach for Libya’s national team, has been brought on board to give the team the necessary boost and to seal gaps witnessed during Zone Five qualifiers held at Nyayo National Stadium Indoor Arena in Nairobi a fortnight ago.
Home team KPA finished third behind Rwandan teams APR, and REG. KPA will compete in Cairo on a wild card.
“We have competed in the African championships for nearly two decades and we have not posted good results. We have therefore decided to give it a new approach with a new technical bench and some experienced players,” Okwera said on Thursday.
Himself a former basketball player, Okwera who took over as KPA women’s team manager upon the retirement of Christopher Ogutu two years ago, also confirmed that KPA’s former forward, Samuel Ochola, who previously served as the team’s trainer, has taken up the role of coach for local league matches.
He will be assisted by Kaabalan and Btenda Angeshi. Millicent Anyango will be the team trainer .
Okwera said KPA, which missed out on WBLA Final Tour last season, returns to the competition with renewed energy and bold ambition.
Stand-out performances
“The key change to the team is mainly in the technical bench. The widely-travelled Nabil Kabalan has a good coaching record, having served as the assistant coach for the Libyan national team that delivered stand-out performances in 2025 Fiba AfroBasket qualifiers, finishing fourth and securing Libya’s first African Championship appearance since 2009. His tactical acumen, international exposure, and disciplined approach to matches are expected to elevate KPA’s style of play and sharpen the team’s competitiveness ahead of WBLA 2025,” Okwera said.
However, the coach will link up with the team in Cairo since he is yet to secure a work visa locally.
Two key members of KPA’s squad that competed in Zone Five qualifiers - Ifunanya Okoro from Nigeria and Aminata Ly, from Senegal - will not be with the team in Egypt, having secured professional contracts in Lebanon and Portugal respectively.
American Sara Dickey Nicole, who most recently played for Basket Zabiny Brno Club in the Czech Republic, and Alexus Latrese Johnson, also from USA, will replace them in the squad.
Coach Samuel Mitch Ochola who has been handling the team at their Makande training ground yesterday said morale was high in the team’s camp following a meeting with KPA Managing Director, William Ruto who promised to reward the players should they bring the title home.
“We are not entering the WBLA 2025 tour just as participants but as genuine contenders armed with experience, talent, and a renewed determination to make the nation proud,” coach Ochola observed. The team leaves for Cairo on Sunday.
