By Oscar Pilipili
There is a lot of anticipation in the air as home team Kenya Prisons and Kenya Pipeline take on respective opponents in quarter-finals of CAVB African Clubs Championship at Nazarene University.
The experienced Pipeline team is drawn against Rwanda Revenue Authority in their quarter-final match.
The encounter is drawing a lot of interest among fans who are eager to see whether former national team captain Dorcas Ndasaba will play against Pipeline.
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Ndasaba’s is yet to play in the championship as her certificate from Federation of International Volleyball has delayed to arrive in Nairobi.
Paul Bitok, who is in charge of development programme in Rwanda and who is sitting on Revenue technical bench, said the certificate was due to arrive Monday.
"Our performance level has dropped due to the absence of Ndasaba in the team. I hope her certificate arrive as scheduled for her to play against Pipeline," said Bitok.
Ndasaba is no new figure to Pipeline players as she played alongside most of them like Catherine Wanjiru, Lucy Chege, Asha Makuto and Mildred Odwako while in the national team.
This match is also very sensitive as it comes barely a week after Rwanda men’s national team, which is coached by Bitok, eliminated Kenya in All Africa Games qualification round in Kigali.
Eager Fans
Fans are eager see whether Bitok will successfully assist Revenue head coach Jean Luk Ndayikengurukiye to prevail over another Kenyans side.
Bitok, in a similar manner with which he treated Kenya men in Kigali, is praising Pipeline, describing them as hot title contenders.
"Pipeline is a strong team compared to us; Rwanda volleyball is still in development stage and our target is to snatch two sets from Pipeline but if they sleep on the job, we shall beat them and knock them out of the tournament," Bitok said.
"We are here to learn from big teams like Pipeline for the future of Rwandese volleyball," he added.
Rwanda’s first big victory against Kenyan volleyball came during East African Secondary Schools Games when Indangaburezi girls beat Malava in the final in Nakuru last year.
Inexperience Cited
Revenue coach Jean Luc Ndayikengurukiye has in his line up girls who punished Malava including Regine Izabayo, Claudette Habimana and Ernestine Akimanizanye.
Despite the inexperience being cited in Revenue team, Pipeline manager Kasuja Onyonyi said his team would not treat the Rwandese lightly.
Onyonyi said: "The results coming out in this Championship are clear manifestation that every country’s volleyball has matured. Ethiopians are sending shock waves here and so is Rwanda team which has reached quarters."
"For us, the match is like any other and we shall play to the best of our ability," said Onyoni.
Second Kenya team in Prisons who are cup holders face Water Sport of Ethiopia in another quarter-final clash which is expected to produce fireworks.
The tall and strong Water Sport girls were responsible for Kenya Commercial Bank’s elimination from the tournament.
It will be an all Maghreb affair as Al Ahly of Egypt host Bejaia of Algeria with National Institute of Youth and Sports of Cameroon host Jos South of Nigeria in other quarter-final matches.
QUARTERS PAIRS
10am: Kenya Pipeline v Rwanda Revenue Authority
12pm: Bejaia v Al Ahly
2pm: Prisons v Water Sport
4pm: Injs v Jos South
(All matches at Nazarene University Hall)
