KPA seek revenge against Rwandan foes in Women’s Basketball League Africa
Chantal Ramu (left) of Rwanda Energy Group attempts to dribble past Okoro Ifunanya of Kenya Ports Authority during the Women Basketball League Africa qualifiers at Nyayo National Stadium on November 14, 2025.
What you need to know:
- APR crushed KPA by more than 18 points when the two teams met in the semi-finals of the WBAL qualifiers in Nairobi last month.
- In another quarter-final match, defending champions Ferraviarro de Maputo of Mozambique will take on Sporting Club of Angola.
Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) take on Rwanda Patriotic Army (APR) in the quarter-finals of the Women's Basketball League Africa (WBLA) on Friday evening in Cairo, Egypt, with revenge on their mind.
The Dockers, who have had an impressive run at this year’s championship under new coach Nabil Kabalan of Libya and team manager Evans Okwera, will have to bring their A-game against the formidable Rwandan side.
APR crushed KPA by more than 18 points when the two teams met in the semi-finals of the WBAL qualifiers in Nairobi last month.
Americans Alexus Johnson and Sarah Dickey, who were not in Nairobi for the qualifiers but were drafted for the final tour to replace Grace Okoro and Lyn Aminata, who left for professional contracts in Portugal and Lebanon, respectively, have been KPA's main actors in Cairo and are expected to continue their splendid work on Friday.
Locals Natalie Mwangale, Barbra Achieng, Diana and Mercy Wanyama should provide the much-needed support.
On Thursday, Kabalan said he had watched the Rwandans play and devised a plan to contain them.
"KPA is a solid team that came here to compete with all eyes on the top price. We have worked on a game plan that should help us achieve our target, which is the title," Kabalan said.
KPA’s biggest strength
"We planned well for this championship, and the KPA management motivated the players by bringing several fans to Cairo to cheer the team. The sky is therefore our limit", said Okwera.
On Tuesday, KPA pushed defending champions Ferroviario de Maputo deep into the final quarter before falling 91-76 in their Group 'B' top place decider.
Against a side boasting six double-digit scorers, KPA’s biggest strength was their balanced scoring core, with three starters carrying the offensive load and keeping the Dockers in the fight through a dominant third-quarter stretch.
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Once again, it was American guard Sarah Nicole Dickey who delivered another impressive performance, posting 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 40 minutes. Her constant drives and rebounding presence steadied KPA even as Maputo threatened to break away early.
Forward Alexus Johnson added a near-perfect outing, scoring 24 points, 12 rebounds, a three-pointer, and a flawless trip to the line. Her energy sparked KPA’s 28-point third quarter surge — their best spell of the night — which erased a double-digit halftime deficit and momentarily swung momentum their favour.
Captain Natalie Mwangale guided the offence with six points, three assists, and one rebound, managing the tempo against Maputo’s relentless defensive pressure. Barbara Diana Achieng added six points and five rebounds, giving KPA important second-chance looks inside.
Other quarter-final matches will see defending champions Ferraviarro de Maputo of Mozambique take on Sporting Club of Angola from noon, Rwanda Energy Group will tackle ASVD (Senegal), while hosts Al Ahly will face CNSS from Congo.
