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U20 men's volleyball coach highlights what is needed to match Malkia Strikers
Reading Time: 2min | Thu. 25.09.25. | 13:04
This was the first time, in the history of the competition, that Kenya made it to the podium after fourth-place finishes in 2004 and 2008
Junior Wafalme Stars, the national U-20 men's volleyball team, clinched bronze at the 2025 CAVB Africa U-20 Volleyball Championships held in Cairo, Egypt, with youngster Bethwel Kiplagat emerging as one of the top talents from the East African nation.
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Head coach Luke Makuto, who took charge of the Kenyan boys for the first time, has lauded the side’s performance, calling for more investments in the men’s game for a chance to dominate the continent and beyond.
Drawing inspiration from the team’s run against some of the most established sides on the continent, Makuto believes that with proper facilities and training, Kenya could easily become a powerhouse in the men’s event, just like their peers, Malkia Strikers, have in the women’s game.
“Heading to Egypt, we had the support of the federation, and, while our training was short and inconsistent, the players did their best to represent the flag, and I am proud of the results.
I was expecting to play the final, given the progress the team was making, but facing Egypt in the semis, who had been in camp for three months in Spain before the showpiece, proved a tough ask. A podium finish is, however, a massive achievement,” Makuto told Mozzart Sport.
In the bronze medal match, Kenya faced off with Uganda for a 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-15, 25-23) victory. Makuto’s charges had lost by straight sets to the hosts in the semis, while Uganda went down by a similar margin to eventual final losers Cameroon.
This was the first time, in the history of the competition, that Kenya made it to the podium after fourth-place finishes in 2004 and 2008. The senior team, Wafalme Stars, has its 2007 fifth-place finish in a nine-team competition hosted in South Africa as the best performance in its nine appearances.
“We have the talent and potential to match the women’s national team performance on the continent and beyond, but more needs to be done.
We have a crop of youngsters taking the league by storm, and our professionals, the likes of Abiud Chirchir, Simeon Kipkorir, Brian Melly, and Elphas Makuto, among others, bring the much-needed experience to take Wafalme to the next level.
We understand that the men’s team has to produce good results to get the same attention and investment that the women’s team does, but this bronze should serve as the building block for Wafalme’s next generation of world beaters,” Makuto further explains.
To ensure a smooth transition for the juniors, Makuto is calling for continued inclusion of the youth in the senior team while keeping all players active in their respective leagues and school competitions.
