Rival coaches plot for FIVB GP debut tie
What you need to know:
- Last year alone, Munala’s Kenya Pipeline defeated their local arch rivals twice in the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) league matches.
- The two coaches are arguably the best volleyball brains in the country but in recent years they have built an unending rivalry both on the home and continental stage.
When Kenya make their debut in the FIVB Grand Prix against host nation Mexico tomorrow morning at the Olympic de la Perrera Hall the composition of the team’s technical bench will make for a curious sight.
The team’s head coach David Lung’aho will for first time ever pair up with his newly appointed assistant Japheth Munala in a high profile tournament.
The two coaches are arguably the best volleyball brains in the country but in recent years they have built an unending rivalry both on the home and continental stage.
The clubs that the two men lead - Kenya Prisons and Kenya Pipeline - are not only Kenya’s top teams but also continental powerhouses. It is never business as usual when Lung’aho and Munala meet.
RETURNED THE FAVOUR
Last year alone, Munala’s Kenya Pipeline defeated their local arch rivals twice in the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) league matches.
But Lung’aho’s Kenya Prisons returned the favour by beating their nemesis in the competition’s play-offs at the Nazarene University in November to win the overall league title.
Prisons has also defeated Pipeline in the semi-finals of the last two editions of the Africa Club Championships in Madagascar (2013) and Tunisia (2014).
“Our rivalry is a healthy one that has developed volleyball in Kenya and the continent,” Munala told Daily Nation Sport at the Fiesta Hotel in Mexico City, where the national team is residing.
At the moment, all the team’s energies and attention are focused on their prospects at the Grand Prix. Munala was appointed to assist Lung’aho by the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) specifically for this championship.
