KPA's head coach Robert Mugabe instructs his player, OKall Koranga, in a past encounter/ HANDOUTKPA coach Robert Mugabe has warned his charges against complacency as the dockers seek to close out their Kenya Basketball Federation Men’s Premier League quarter-final series against Strathmore Blades at home this weekend.
KPA carry a 1-0 advantage into Game Two at Makande Gymnasium in Mombasa on Saturday after beating Blades 77-61 in the opening encounter at Nyayo Gymnasium. Mugabe wants his side to make the most of the advantage by finishing the series in Game Two and avoiding a decisive third match on Sunday.
“The win was very important for us, even though we started badly. We regained our concentration and pulled through. Now, it’s back to Mombasa to regroup and organise ourselves as we look to win the second game and progress to the semi-finals. It won’t be easy, but we are focused and ready for the weekend. Hopefully, we can finish the job on Saturday,” said Mugabe.
KPA need one more victory from the remaining two matches to qualify for the semi-finals, while Blades must win both games in Mombasa to overturn the deficit and keep their title ambitions alive.
The dockers will be encouraged by their regular-season campaign, having finished second behind defending champions Nairobi City Thunder. Their consistency earned them home advantage in the latter stages of the quarter-final series, which Mugabe hopes will now work in their favour.
The return to Makande also allows KPA to build on the lessons from Game One, particularly their slow start. Having recovered to take control in Nairobi, the Dockers will be expected to impose themselves earlier on their home court and prevent Blades from gaining the momentum required to force a third game.
KPA's immediate objective is therefore clear: win Game Two, end the series 2-0 and turn their attention to the semi-finals.
The bigger target will be to go further than last season, when the dockers finished runners-up to Thunder. The defending champions have already booked their semi-final place alongside Stanbic Shields, setting up a potential clash between the league's leading contenders in the next round.
Thunder swept Lakeside 2-0, while Shields completed a similar series victory over Ulinzi Warriors. Equity Dumas and Umoja are tied 1-1 and will meet in a decisive third game, with the winner joining the last four.
