Kenyan teams Prisons and General Service Unit registered mixed results on the first day of the 2015 Men’s African Club Championship that served-off on Saturday in Sousse, Tunisia.
Kenya Prisons Men’s volleyball team players celebrates in style as they carry their head coach Gideon Chenje (in a red jersey) after beating their opponents GSU volleyball team during the finals of the 2014 Kenya Volleyball Federation Play-offs at the Kenya Ports Authority Makande Gymnesium on Sunday evening, December 1, 2014. Prisons beat GSU 3-1 to be crowned 2014 champions. PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD
Kenya Prisons kicked off their campaign by claiming a 3-0 victory over Uganda’s KAVC in a Pool D encounter as their local rivals, GSU, lost by the same margin (25-14, 25-14, 25-17) to 10-time champions Ahly of Egypt in Pool C.
The Gideon Chenje-trained side clinched the first set 29-27 and easily won the second and third sets 25-13 and 25-15.
In other Pool D matches, Setif of Algeria, who were due to face Prisons yesterday evening, stunned Zimbabwe’s Support Unit by three sets to nil as Somoha (Egypt) beat Ahly Beni Ghazi from Liberia 3-1.
THRILLING CLASH
Defending champions Esperance of Tunisia were given a harsh reality check by African giants and five-time African Champions Zamalek (Egypt), who hammered them 3-1 in a thrilling Pool B clash. The Egyptians won the first set with a score of 25-21, but their North African counterparts levelled the scores (15-21) in the second set to throw the game wide open.
Zamalek displayed their prowess and responded by winning the third (25-22) and fourth (25-15) sets respectively.
Hosts Etoile Sportive du Sahel also began their campaign on a positive note by hammering 3-0 Autoridede of Mozambique 3-0.
Moroccan representatives FAR and Tangier were among the emerging teams who set the first victory after a long absence from the continental show-piece.
Prisons were due to face Setif last night while GSU were hoping to bounce back against Rwandese side APR, who also lost 3-0 to Algeria’s Bourj Bouaririj in their opening match.
The opening day action was attended by CAVB President Amr Elwani, Control Committee President Louis Timba, SOC Delegates Okba Gougam and Morakinyo Ebenezer, Referee Delegates Hassan Ahmed and Majeed Djirad and CAVB Executive Director Howyda Mondy.
By Rodgers Eshitemi, The Standard