Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) finished fourth at the 2026 Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Zone Five Qualifiers after losing 102-97 to Tanzania’s Fox Divas in the third-place playoff in Kibaha on Saturday, October 24.
The Dockers missed out on a podium finish after the hosts recovered from a third-quarter deficit to win the bronze medal at the Filbert Bayi Olympafrica Centre, ending Kenya’s hopes of matching last year’s third-place finish.
KPA had beaten Fox Divas 90-60 in the group stage on October 20, but the Tanzanian side produced a different performance in the decisive classification match.
The hosts led 26-24 after the opening quarter and extended their advantage to 53-43 at half-time. KPA responded after the break, outscoring Fox Divas 31-23 in the third quarter to take a 74-71 lead into the final period.
However, Fox Divas regained control in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Kenyan side 31-23 to secure a five-point victory and claim third place on home soil.
Evelyne Nakiyingi led Fox Divas with 31 points, while Hope Akello contributed 25 points and 15 rebounds. Jescal Ngisaise added 18 points, while Gift Kaonga recorded 14 points and 17 rebounds.
For KPA, Tonie Morgan scored a game-high 33 points, with Victoria Reynolds adding 19 and Alima Doumbia contributing 18. Christine Akinyi also scored 11 points, but the Dockers could not overcome the hosts’ late surge.
The defeat denied KPA another opportunity to secure a place at the continental finals through the route that followed their third-place finish in the previous edition. Last year, the Kenyan side received a wildcard entry to the finals in Cairo, Egypt.
In the other classification match involving a Kenyan team, Equity Hawks defeated Tanzania’s Vijana Queens 73-46 to finish seventh in the eight-team competition.
Rwanda Energy Group (REG) claimed their maiden Zone Five title after defeating defending champions APR 84-77 in an all-Rwandan final on Saturday.
REG built a 45-29 half-time lead after restricting APR to nine points in the second quarter. Although APR fought back after the break, REG maintained their advantage to secure the seven-point victory.
Both REG and APR qualified for the 2026 WBLA continental finals, scheduled for December 11-20 in Cairo, Egypt.
The final standings left REG first, APR second, Fox Divas third and KPA fourth, with Equity Hawks finishing seventh. The results left Kenya’s two representatives outside the top three at the regional qualifiers.
