L. MathekaThis is war! Malkia Strikers play hosts Cameroon in crucial semis
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 23.08.23. | 10:27
More than a final berth is at stake as Kenya's qualification to Paris Olympics hangs on this single encounter.
National women's volleyball team, Malkia Strikers, have their work cut out as they play their semi final match against hosts Cameroon in the ongoing CAVB African Nations Championship on Wednesday 23 August from 1800hrs (2000hrs EAT).
It is a final before the final! The anticipation and tension ahead of the match is palpable. It has been the talk of town since the hosts lost to Egypt in the group stage and it became clear their pathway to the final had them playing against bitter rivals Kenya in the semis.
The fans have been filling the over 5000-seater Palais Polyvalent des Sports arena in their previous matches against lower-ranked teams and we can only imagine what the atmosphere will be like tonight.
The match is a repeat of the championship's last three editions' final where the hosts have emerged victorious. However, Kenya has beaten the same side in other competitions, the most recent being in the World Championships last year.
"We know Cameroon have changed their squad. We watched them against Egypt and we can tell they are still a good side, despite the changes, but we are confident we can handle them.
However, playing against a team that is home has never been easy. The fans can change the game," assistant coach Paul Bitok said ahead of the encounter.
A repeat of the last three African Nations Championships, but this time Malkia Strikers will play hosts Cameroon in the semis of this year's competition on Wednesday. Alot is at stake here, from the title to Olympics qualification.#MalkiaWaAfrika10 pic.twitter.com/lfL2F1LwiU
— Matheka (@Lynmatheka) August 22, 2023
In addition to being a semi final between the record champions chasing a tenth title against the host's and defending champions looking to extend their title tally to four, it is also a battle for an Olympic slot.
The two sides have a chance to qualify for Paris Olympics as the best-placed African side and as things stand, despite Cameroon losing to Egypt, the two sides are separated by a point in the continental ranking.
A win will therefore guarantee the successful side a ticket to Paris as the other team that could have challenged for a place, Egypt, are far off on the rankings.
"This is a very complicated match given what is at stake. We are still having mistakes here and there which is different from how Egypt played against the hosts. The North Africans are admittedly better than Kenyan in service and commit fewer mistakes.
From that match, however, we have an idea on how to handle both teams since we are likely to face Egypt in the final
We have been training on our services because we can see Cameroon's reception is shaky. We also will not allow them play quick or short balls," Bitok further explained.
Coach Luizomar de Moura seems to have found his starting six, maintaining Trizah Atuka for Belinda Barasa in the starting six.
They have been a force and will predictably start tonight's match. Bitok says reception will be key and skipper Mercy Moim will be expected to play a receiving role more than she has in previous matches, alongside the indefatigable Agripina Kundu.
"The coordination of the team is good. We have been perfecting on it and I am happy it is working for us. We need to continue on the same while improving on our service and blocks. I am happy that our percentage on reception during the quarters was at 67%. This is an area that has always troubled us and that is a commendable percentage that we want to maintain going forward," Bitok added.
