KCCA Leopards vs UCU Lady Canons -6:30pm MTN Arena, Lugogo
City Oilers vs Warriors -8:30pm MTN Arena, Lugogo
Mandy Juruni’s City Oilers take on Ronny Mutebi’s Warriors in the first of the best of five series semi finals on Friday at the MTN Arena, Lugogo.
Oilers shall be chasing a record seventh title after matching Falcons Basketball Club’s record of six in six years last in 2018.
The last team to emulate a back to back triumph was Falcons in 2002, 2003 and 2004 which is just a half of the current Oilers record.
Warriors meanwhile are three-time champions whose reign was short lived by Oilers promotion in NBL.
City Oilers enter today’s encounter with several injury concerns for some of their key players a case in point being a Nigerian Small forward Francis Chikobe who got injured in the previously concluded FIBA Africa Zone 5 qualifiers in Tanzania. He is joined by Jonathan Egau, who was injured in the 3×3 championship in China, Stephen Omony who missed the quarter finals but re-injured his knee in Tanzania as well as Captain Jimmy Enabu who earlier opted out for aviation studies in Soroti. Enabu was very influential in last year’s finals against Betway Power where he had 18 points to his name on as they won 81-73 to lift the title 5-1.
City Oilers ejected Ndejje in this year’s quarter finals 2-1 in the best of three series and will rely on the services of Josh Jonson and James Okello who proved crucial in the quarter finals.
Warriors’ Mike Bazangu is ruled out for todays’ game, the forward picking up a knock in the previous game.
Captain Mark Opio and Congolese internationals Jonathan Kambale and Saidi Carmelo are the players to turn around issues if warriors should emerge victorious today.
The day shall begin with the women encounter of KCCA Leopards facing off with their eternal rivals UCU Lady Canons at the same venue both looking for a better result in their first semi final series.
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