New dates for volleyball Africa tourney as Kenyan teams intensify preps

This year’s CAVB Zone 5 African Games set to serve off on January 22 in Egypt have been moved by two days and teams are now expected to arrive on 24 January with the technical meeting slated for 25 January.

The changes have given Kenyan teams Malkia Strikers and Wafalme Stars, who were scheduled to leave on 20 January for the North African country, at least four more days of getting ready for the zonal competition set to qualify them for the Africa Games.

Tarus backs Wafalme Stars to garner good results in CAVB Zone 5 African Games

The two sides are on different paths, with the African champions Malkia looking to qualify for the continental championship and defend the title they won in 2019 thus making it a three-peat run, having reclaimed the title in 2015.

Before then, the Kenyan women had settled for bronze in three consecutive editions in 2003, 2007 and 2011.

Japheth Munala, making a return to the helm of the women’s team following the exit of Paul Bitok after being elected the federation’s deputy president, is hoping to lead a successful onslaught in Egypt where the hosts are the only side expected to mount a tough challenge.

His opposite number, Gideon Tarus, has a much more difficult job as they face more competition that includes the hosts, a team that eliminated Tarus’ side from last year’s African Nations Championship at the round of 16, relegating the Kenyans to the ninth place playoffs.

The last meeting between Kenya and Egypt before last year was in the same competition a year before in Rwanda, where Kenya defeated the North Africans for the first time in history in a 3-2 outcome when the two met in the group stage.

The men's team has missed the last two editions of the Games in 2015 and 2019, the last participation coming in 2011 in Maputo, where the East African country won bronze, defeating Rwanda 3-0 in the third-place match.

Tarus is looking to replicate that performance and qualify for the Africa Games.

Despite going to battle without his foreign legion as Wafalme’s squad is entirely composed of Kenyan-based players, the tactician is confident his charges will get the job done.