Crunch match at Nazarene University

By Oscar Pilipili

It will be a war of nerves as champions Kenya Prisons clash with rivals Kenya Pipeline in a high octane final at CAVB African Clubs Championship at Nazarene University today.

Out of 15 teams that entered the annual competition, there would be no other sides any volleyball fan could have wished to reach the final than Prisons and Pipeline.

The Kenyan sides are arguably the best in African volleyball the reason why they are facing each other in a crucial encounter whose winners, besides being crowned continental ‘queens’ qualify for lucrative FIVB World Clubs Championship which will be played in Qatar later in the year.

Africa champions and World Cup representatives will therefore be known as coaches David Lung’aho of Prisons and Pipeline’s Japheth Munala parade respective squads at Nazarene University 3pm.

Comparing the teams’ track record from a local perspective this year, Pipeline have better history than their opponents with oil merchants having claimed all two tournaments-Jeremiah Kioni Cup and Aphia II tournament against Prisons none.

This is the first time the two are meeting since Prisons beat Pipeline 3-0 sets in national league play-off final encounter to retain the trophy Kenya Ports Authority Makande Hall in Mombasa last December.

The only time they came close to locking horns was during the Aphia II tournament, but an under-strength Prisons team lost to Kenya Commercial Bank in the semis during the event held in Nyeri last month.

On continental front, Prisons are riding on credentials of having lost only one African Clubs Championship since they made maiden appearance in 2007.

They were beaten by Al Ahly in preliminaries in 2008 but went ahead to clinch the trophy in Cairo.