Kenya Pipeline win Cup opener in Tunisia
PHOTO | FILE Kenyan volleyball giants Kenya Pipeline during a past match against their arch rivals Kenya Prisons Women’s team.
What you need to know:
- Kenya’s other representatives Kenya Prisons who are the defending champions were due to meet Bafia from Cameroon last evening in a pool A encounter. Pool A of the tournament also has Elshams from Egypt and Algeria’s Bejaia.
- Prisons outclassed the Algerian champions GS Petroliers in 3-2 sets in last year’s final in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It was a see-saw final that saw Prisons stage astute reception to claim the first set 25-21.
The 2005 champions Kenya Pipeline launched their title campaign in the 24th edition of women’s Africa Club Championships on a winning note, dismissing APR from Rwanda in straights sets.
Pipeline on Saturday easily won their pool D opener 3-0 in Carthage, Tunisia, in a group that also has Chlef from Algeria and Cameroon’s FAP.
Kenya’s other representatives Kenya Prisons who are the defending champions were due to meet Bafia from Cameroon last evening in a pool A encounter. Pool A of the tournament also has Elshams from Egypt and Algeria’s Bejaia.
Last year’s runner up GS Petroliers from Algeria also launched their title chase on a winning note, beating hosts Sfaxien 3-2 in pool ‘C’.
Prisons and Pipeline are among 16 clubs competing in the championship that ends on April 27.
PRISONS WON LAST YEAR'S EVENT
Prisons outclassed the Algerian champions GS Petroliers in 3-2 sets in last year’s final in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It was a see-saw final that saw Prisons stage astute reception to claim the first set 25-21.
Petroliers came back strongly and cashed in on Prisons’ attacking mistakes to win the second 25-20.
Then the Kenyan champions, who won the title in 2008 before their back-to-back success in 2010, 2011 and 2012, won the third set 25-19 but Petroliers claimed the fourth 25-20.
It took courage and character from Prisons to win the tiebreaker 15-7.
This year’s tournament will see each team in the pools play three matches in a round-robin format, with the top two teams qualifying for the quarter-finals.
From then on, the competition will proceed on a knock-out format till the final stage.
