Nairobi Water tackle TKC in Africa Club Championship

National women’s handball champions Nairobi Water take on TKC from Cameroon on Friday in their opening Group B match of the Africa Club Championship at the Palais des Sports in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Water, who were due to jet out Thursday night, will be hoping for a good start at the 38th edition of the continental event that has attracted nine women’s teams and 10 men’s clubs.

Champions Primero from Angola play Bandama from Ivory Coast in the other Group B match.

It will be the first meeting between the sides and the Kenyans will be looking to get the better of their Cameroonian opponents who finished seventh in last year’s edition held in Nador, Morocco.

Water, who will be making their fifth appearance at the continental showpiece, finished last in 2015 and are targeting a semi-final appearance this year. They succumbed to a 27-23 defeat to Heritage of Ivory Coast in the final classification match.

Water coach Jack Ochieng has drafted three new players in his 15-member squad as he seeks a better outing this year.

Newly-signed Anna Venesa from Germany, left back Vallarie Adhaimbo and right winger Alexina Ambani are in line for their debuts for the three-time national champions.

The tactician said the remaining 12 players have featured in previous events and expects his charges to ruffle feathers in the tourney.

“This is my best side and I am confident that this time we will go far. The experience of playing in the last four editions will come in handy and we have worked hard in correcting the mistakes we made in previous years,” Ochieng told Daily Nation Sport.

“We don’t know much about TKC but they have also been participating in this competition and it should be a cracking match and a win will give us the confidence we need to go far.”

FACE PRIMERO

After TKC, the Kenyan ladies will then come up against Primero and then Bandama.

Primero beat rivals Petro Atletico 23- 21 in last year’s final to clinch their second successive title.

In Group A matches, FAP from Cameroon take on HC Heritage from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as Benin’s ASPAC play hosts AS ONEA.
The top two teams in each pool will advance to the semi-finals.

In the men’s competition, defending champions Zamalek from Egypt are in Group B together with Widad Smara (Morocco), FAP Yaoundé (Cameroon), JSK (DR Congo) and hosts AS Douane.

Reigning East and Central African champions Police of Rwanda are in Group A alongside four-time winners Al Ahly (Egypt) and Esperance Sportive (Tunisia).