Kenya Prisons, Kenya Pipeline renew rivalry
What you need to know:
- Local rivalry to play out in all-Kenyan quarters today in Monastir from 2pm
- Winners will face the victors in the quarters between Tunisian sides Carthage and Sfaxien.
Cross-town rivals Kenya Prisons and Kenya Pipeline, who boast 12 continental titles between them, will Thursday afternoon clash in the quarter-finals of the volleyball women’s Africa Club Championship in Monastir, Tunisia.
This is a contest a section of the country’s volleyball fraternity regret has arrived sooner than desired.
Both camps exuded confidence of triumphing in this all-Kenyan affair and progressing to the last four of the competition.
“We will do our very best in this game, which I believe will be good enough,” Pipeline captain Triza Atuka said on phone from Monastir. Pipeline, who have won the Kenyan title for the past three seasons on the trot, are the stronger of the two judging from recent history.
However, the David Lung’aho-coached Prisons boast enough experience in the likes of Brackcides Agala, Jane Wacu, Lydia Maiyo and captain Everlyne Makuto.
“We didn’t want to meet at this point but now we have to. I believe in my players who have grown in each game and we will do our best to win this. Our mission remains to bring the trophy home,” said Lung’aho.
Winners will face the victors in the quarters between Tunisian sides Carthage and Sfaxien.
BRUISING BATTLE
Either way, this promises to be a closely fought and bruising battle, possibly a five set thriller, one that should mirror Pipeline’s triumph the last time the two sides faced off at the Makande Hall in Mombasa County during the league play-offs last November.
The oilers triumphed 25-21, 17-27, 25-22, 23-25 and 15-10, on the day to win the title, in this game played before a sold out crowd, and punctuated by consistent power failure.
Meanwhile, Pipeline have been the most impressive of these two clubs up until these stage of the competition.
Japheth Munala’s charges sailed through their pool unbeaten, and without dropping a set, after defeating Rwanda’s Patriotic Army (APR), Cameroon’s Bafia and Algeria’s Sonatrach.
Prisons meanwhile lost to the competition’s defending champions Egypt’s Al Ahly 3-1(25-14, 25-21, 18-25 and 25-16) in their opening game. The Kenyans however recovered to defeat hosts Marsa, University of Zimbabwe and Algeria’s Baijaija in straight sets in their five team pool.
FIXTURES
Quarter-finals (Kenyan time)
Kenya Prisons v Kenya Pipeline (2pm)
Al Ahly (Egypt) v GSP (Algeria) (4pm)
Shams (Egypt) v INJIS (Cameroon) ((6pm)
Carthage (Tunisia) v Sfaxien (Tunisia) (8pm)
