Al Ahly go four clear, Kenyans come third best again

Egyptian volleyball giants Al Ahly Thursday won their ninth CAVB African Club Championship title, beating Carthage of Tunisia 3-0 in the final to extend their record hold to four clear of their nearest rivals.

The hosts easily dispatched last year’s champions in straight sets of 25-9, 29-27, 25-8 as they reclaimed the title they last won in 2016 when they defeated the same opposition 3-2.

For the third straight year, Kenyans settled for the least podium at the annual continental games as Pipeline outlasted domestic rivals Prisons 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 27-29, 15-11) to bag the bronze medal.

David Lung’aho’s Prisons took an early lead and dominated for the first set with some strong hitting for a 25-23 win.

Pipeline fought back in the second and claimed the third set as they went 2-1 up. Prisons then won the fourth, leaving all to play for in the final set.

Prisons setter Moim Mercy Sukuku notched an impressive 26 kills but even that could not prevent her side from losing as Leonida Kasaya replied with 22 of her own to power Pipeline to the lead.

The two Kenyan teams who in their en route to the plays off, crashed out in semi finals against bigwigs immediate champions Carthage and Al Ahly are expected to jet back in the country on Saturday.

The two Kenyan giants will clash again in this year’s Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) league opener which is set to serve off in 23rd of March in Bungoma County as Japeth Munala led side Pipeline, preparing to defend their title.

In the nine-day event, Rwanda Revenue Authority completed their club championship with a convincing 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-14) win against Bafia of Cameroon to took fifth position.