Charged Pipeline launch title quest

National volleyball champions Kenya Pipeline will this evening launch their hunt for an eighth CAVB Women African Club Championship title in Cairo against last year’s runners-up El Shams of Egypt in their first match in group C at 9 pm (Kenyan time).

The title has eluded the Japheth Munala led side since 2005 when they last won it in Nairobi and they are preparing for a tough test to end their 13-year wait for the title as they face experienced Shams who lost 3-2 sets to Carthage of Tunisia in last year’s finals held at Tunisia.

The Egyptian team is seemingly the strongest side in Pool C and if Munala’s troops trounce the 2017 silver medalists, he will have laid a marker. Pipeline is also set to face FAP of Cameroon, DSG of Congo and Vision of Uganda, which, according to observers, are relatively manageable.

Last year, Pipeline crashed out in the quarter-finals after they were edged by their arch-rivals Kenya Prisons 3-2.

Meanwhile, Munala’s counterpart, Prison coach, David Lung’aho, has said that the draws which were done yesterday in Cairo  favours his team which will be aiming to improve last year’s performance when they won bronze medal against Al Ahly of Egypt in the third-place match.

The seasoned coach, speaking to the Citizen Digital, however believes his team has a hard task against Injs of Cameroon and Customs of Nigeria in Pool C because the two teams have been in the competition for so long.

“For sure it was a fair draw because we were not drawn against other heavyweights like Al Alhly and Carthage of Egypt and what we should do now is to ensure that we top our group to avoid meeting them in quarters, ” averred Lunga’ho.

The five-time champions will begin their hunt for a first gold title since 2013 against Asec of Cote D Ivoire tomorrow (Wednesday) before facing Dounaes of Burkina Faso and Customs of Nigeria in the group D fixtures.

The 10- day competition which has attracted a record of 19 teams will end on March 16.

Pools

Pool A: Al Ahly (Egypt), Nkumba University (Uganda), Nyong (Cameroun), Rwanda Revenue Authority (Rwanda)

Pool B: Carthage (Tunisia), Harare City (Zimbabwe), Chlef (Algeria), Bafia (Cameroun), Botswana Defense Forces (Botswana)

Pool C: El Shams (Egypt), Kenya Pipeline (Kenya), FAP (Cameroun), DGSP (Congo), Vision Club (Uganda).

Pool D: Kenya Prisons (Kenya), Injs (Cameroun), Customs (Nigeria), Douanes (Burkina Faso), Asec Mimosa (Ivory Coast).