Kenyans face Uganda in must-win Olympics qualifier match

Kenya men’s beach volleyball team faces hosts Uganda on Saturday in a must-win match if the team is to proceed to the next round of Olympic qualifiers.

Kenya recorded mixed results as the zonal qualifiers entered the second day at the Lido Beach in Entebbe, Uganda on Friday.

First on the court was the Kenyan pair of Cornelius Kiplagat and Brian Melly who succumbed to Tanzania pair of David Neeke and Edward Ford 2-0 sets of 21-18 and 21-19.

But Kenya bounced back from the first loss, with the regular pair of Ibrahim Oduor and James Mwaniki winning against the Tanzania duo of Ally Shukuru and Alhaji Said 2-0 sets (21-13 and 21-10) to tie the games 1-1, setting the stage for a golden set of 15.

CHOICE OF PLAYERS

When a golden set is involved, the competing countries are given chance to field their best among their representatives, and Kenya settled for the duo of Oduor and Mwaniki, while Tanzania went for Neeke and Ford.

Kenya lost the match 15-12.

Oduor said the development has left the team in an awkward position but noted the players have promised to give their best when they come up against the hosts.

“We can’t underrate any team. All these teams have made remarkable improvement and the performance is there for everyone to see. However, we want to be at our best when we face Uganda because we all know what is at stake,” said Oduor who features for the Kenya Prisons.

Kenya won against Sudan on Thursday. Top two teams at the end of the event will move to the next round.