Tough draw for Pipeline, Prisons in Africa contest
Kenya Prisons players celebrate their victory over Kenya Pipeline after their Africa Club Volleyball Championship quarter-final match at Ksar Hellal Jammel Hall in Tunisia's coastal city of Monastir on April 7, 2017. PHOTO | CAVB |
What you need to know:
- Uphill task for Kenya’s serial champs.
- Egypt’s record holders Al Ahly lead 20 clubs at annual women’s club championships in Cairo in Cairo next month.
Bigwigs Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Prisons will have to navigate their way around a hostile host and record entry of participating clubs to stand a chance of reclaiming the continental volleyball title this year.
This is after the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) announced on Thursday that record holders and hosts Al Ahly, who boast eight continental titles, will lead a contingent of 20 clubs in competing at the annual women’s Africa Club Championship in Cairo from March 9 to 15.
Pipeline are also a force to reckon with in this competition having won seven titles even though their last feat was back in 2005. The team captain Triza Atuka, however, believes this is about to change.
“Most of our focus is on the continental championship this year, which is understandable, because we have won four league titles in a row. We badly want to conquer Africa,” said Atuka.
Similarly, Prisons, under the tutelage of veteran coach David Lung’aho, will be seeking their sixth title, the last of which they won in Antananarivo, Madagascar, five years ago.
NEW SIGNINGS
“We won the continental title the last time the games were held in Cairo in 2008. I’m hoping we can repeat that feat,” said Lung’aho.
“Last year we claimed bronze in Tunisia. We were so close... it was the best performance we have put out in a while.”
Lung’aho has also made new signings in a bid to strengthen his team, bringing in Kwanthanze alumni Sharon Chepchumba and Loreen Chebet, a left attacker and centre player respectively, plus Naomi Chelimi from Lugulu Girls, also a left attacker.
The other teams in the competition include Tunisia’s Carthage and their compatriots Marsa, 2017 silver medallists Shams club alongside Alexandria Sportiff (from Egypt), DR Congo’s DGSP, Asec Mimoas (Cote d’Ivorie), Vision Club, Nkumba University (both from Uganda), Botswana Deference Forces, AS Douances, Muzinga (Burundi), Canon de Ndjii, VB Club (Republic of Congo), Injis, FAP, Bafia and Nong et Kelle (Cameroon).
