Kenyan tacticians confident of titles at ECAHF championship

Coach Brian Mathews, who is taking charge of the Kenya Handball Federation (KHF) men’s league champions National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) at the ongoing East and Central Africa Club Championships in Zanzibar has expressed confidence in clinching the title.

National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) men’s side is looking to win the title held by Rwanda Police who are not in Zanzibar for the title defense.

Winning start for Kenyan teams in East and Central Africa handball championship

Having opened their campaign with a convincing 37-22 win against hosts Nyuki on Sunday, the millers followed up that performance with another crucial victory on Tuesday morning against Tanzania’s Jeshi la Kujenga Taifa (JKT) in a 32-20 outcome.

The first half was closely contested but the Millers still led 17-12 at the break as skipper Timothy Kirimi scored five in the match to lead the scoring for Mathews’ charges. Tanzania’s Mgeni Omary top scored in the match with nine goals but his solo efforts were not enough to defeat the Kenyan side.

“We had a slow start, missed a lot of open chances and we had to readjust in the second half. I am, however, impressed that we maintained team work throughout the match. I am particularly proud of the goalkeepers as they made spectacular saves,” Mathews said.

The tactician says all the teams that have registered for the tournament are good enough and should not be written off, as he disputed the notion that the title campaign was easier for the millers to clinch without the defending champions.

“We are taking it one match at a time. We came prepared for all the teams that had initially been indicated to be here including the defending champion so we are not having it easy due to their absence but because of the kind of preparations and the work we put in before travelling to Zanzibar,” Mathews offered.

The tactician believes the championship will go a long way in helping them better their plays and work on their systems ahead of the national league conclusion early next year and the subsequent Super Cup matches. They remain unbeaten in their KHF title defense campaign.

Meanwhile, the women’s title holders Nairobi Water Queens had another dominant performance, racing to a 35-23 victory against JKT women.

The Jack Ochieng-coached side is looking to retain the title they won last year in Dar es Salaam to extend their winning streak that is yet to be broken since the competition’s inception.

"On top of winning the title, I am looking to see the squad play better defensively and so far I am impressed," offered Ochieng.