Renewed rivalry

By Oscar Pilipili

East Africans men have finally broken jinx of not winning against Maghreb States as Kenya Prisons and National University of Rwanda (NUR) reached semi-finals of CAVB African Clubs Championship in Egypt.

It is important to note that both Prisons and NUR triumphed against Algerian opponents in quarter-final encounters to set an all East African semi-final scheduled for today (6pm Egyptian time).

North African teams and especially from Arab countries had proved a nut hard to crack, the reason Prisons and NUR victory is welcome news to East Africans.

Prisons came one more step towards the dream of being the only team all over the world to qualify in both genders for FIVB Club World Championship when they hammered Setif of Algeria 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 26-24) in a tough quarter-final encounter.

Kenya Prisons team in Egypt. [PHOTO:CAVB]

The Kenyan team was physically fit enough to control through the block of Jackson Mwambia and Denis Mokua as the solid block was the key factor of the victory.

Best points

Mokua was the highest match scorer 18 points, while the Setif’s centre Adamu Dou Dou was his team best on 14 points.

Coached by Paul Bitok of Kenya, NUR, rebounded two times from one set to outclass the struggling Blida team of Algeria 3-2 (20-25, 25-17, 12-25, 25-23, 15-12) in 115 minutes. The strong Rwandan spiker Guma Yakan played a great role in the victory with his razor sharp hits sent from all the net position and came out as the match scorer with 26 points.

After Blida won the first set the Rwanda team reached their first peak to win the second set widely before their curve went back again allowing the Algerian team to win the forth set with the widest point difference 25-12.

Again University team returned back efficiently to win the fourth set and the tiebreak to qualify for the second time in their history to the semi-final after the first in Benin in 2005.

The host team Al Ahly of Egypt used their wing spikers Ahmed Kotb to clinch an easy victory over FAP of Cameroon 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-15) in 55 minutes.

Sharp spike service

Al Ahly qualified to the semi-final for the 15th time while FAP plays for the 5-8 brackets.

The Egyptian opposite Ahmed Kotb was the match star after he succeeded to penetrate FAP block frequently and also he sent his sharp spike service frequently that disturbed their defence.

Al Guish of Egypt needed 63 minutes to trounce Port de Douala of Cameroon in straight sets (25-20, 25-11, 25-22). The wing spiker of El Guish Islam Awad was the key factor of the victory as he sent his unstoppable hits from position four that were not tolerated by Port’s block.

El Guish also depended on the solid block of Emmanuel Friday and Rashad Shebl to stop Port’s attacks.

Al Guish qualified the semi-final for the second time in their history after 2007 when they finished second and they will take on their compatriots Al Ahly in the semi-final while Port plays their rivals FAP for the 5-8 brackets.