CHAMPS TARGET Cup GLORY: Nairobi Water on course to retain regional handball title

EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 Water Queens Brenda Musambai during the 31st Edition of the East and Central Africa Handball Club Championship on Tuesday, Nov 22, 2016. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

Two-time East and Central handball club championship title holders Nairobi Water are on course to defend the title they won last year in Kigali, Rwanda as action continues today at Nyayo National Stadium.

Water took part in the 38th edition of Africa Club Championship in Burkina Faso early this month and finished in the fifth position. The four-time domestic champions are therefore the red hot favourites for the regional title after picking two wins from two matches played so far.

The champions who won their fourth consecutive domestic league title with an unbeaten record last week have to win their final fixture against Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) tomorrow at 12pm to be crowned champions.

This will be the third time the teams are meeting this season with the champions winning the last two encounters.

Nairobi Water coach Jack Sandan says they must win their last fixture to make sure they keep the unbeaten run in the championship.

“It’s good we have picked two wins from two matches and winning our last match of the championship against KDF will be very important because we will be picking our regional title for the third consecutive year,” Sandan said.

The tactician said the championship has not been competitive because no women team came from outside the country.

“It would have been a better championship if we had teams from outside the country like the previous editions. Teams from Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville have good and experienced players who could have upped the competition, but playing against local clubs doesn’t give us any competition,” he said.

On the other hand KDF team manager Sammy Mwangangi says they are looking forward to nothing short of a win from to make sure they take the title from Nairobi water.

“We have no injuries in the team and I have recalled two experienced players in the name of Mary Oriago and Beatrice Chebet to beef up the squad. Oriago is a good goalkeeper and I know she will add value to the team. We lost by only three goals in our second leg match against Nairobi Water and I know we are going to win this match. Last season they defeated us with a difference of 18 goals, but my team has improved this season,” he said

KDF have won one match and lost one which puts them in second place with two points ahead of NCPB who also have two points, but have an inferior goal difference.

After beating KDF on Wednesday, NCPB will face struggling Sparklers HC today from 2pm hoping to keep their hopes of finishing second alive. Sparklers HC have lost all their matches.

In the men’s category, defending champions Rwanda Police kept their hopes of retaining the title alive after winning 40-38 in an explosive encounter against last year’s finalists Black Mamba. This was a repeat of last year’s final in Kigali where Police won.

Rwanda Police is at the summit of the table standing with four points from two matches and is followed by KDF with two points.