African Queens upbeat ahead of Croatia match
What you need to know:
- Kenya are currently placed third in their eight team pool after the completion of the first leg games, having garnered seven points out of a possible nine, a point more than Croatia.
- Earlier, Croatia coach Angelo Vercesi hailed the Kenyan team ahead of the first ever meeting between the two sides.
National women volleyball team coach David Lung’aho used Thursday’s afternoon session to work on the mental state of his charges ahead of the second leg of the FIVB Grand Prix in Croatia.
Buoyed by a second place finish behind Bulgaria in the opening leg of the series last week in Mexico, Kenya will open her campaign in the second leg with a tricky match against Croatia this evening (9:15 Kenyan time).
The team will then then wrap up the series with matches against Bulgaria and Australia tomorrow and Sunday respectively.
“We rarely pick up a point when it really matters, why is that so?” Lung’aho posed to the players midway through the team’s training session at the Zatika Hall in Porec on Wednesday afternoon.
Kenya are currently placed third in their eight team pool after the completion of the first leg games, having garnered seven points out of a possible nine, a point more than Croatia.
“Our position makes our next match very crucial. A win will take us nearer to the play-offs stage and this will make up for failure to reach the World Championships earlier this year,” Lung’aho said.
Meanwhile, officials from the World Anti Doping Agency (Wada) yesterday made an early morning visit to the team’s camp and randomly took samples from five players.
“It is important for all players to feature in competitive engagements when they are clean” a Wada, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Daily Nation Sport.
The whole procedure in which the blood and urine samples were taken lasted close to three years, in which the officials followed the players everywhere.
FIRST MEETING
Earlier, Croatia coach Angelo Vercesi hailed the Kenyan team ahead of the first ever meeting between the two sides.
“Kenya has very strong players who want to dominate every situation. We will be very careful against them because they have improved alot,” Vercesi said during a press briefing.
Kenya is currently placed third in the eight-team Pool P-S, and is primed to qualify for the play-offs with at least two wins from their remaining three matches. “We are ready for the next matches and optimistic of securing qualification for the play-offs” team libero Elizabeth Wanyama added.
The two other teams Bulgaria and Australia will play in the opening match of this leg.
