Day
one
First Victory for
the Organizers and
Defending Champions
Durban, South
Africa, September
16, 2007-: The
defending Champions
Egypt, the
organizers South
Africa and the big
contenders for the
title Kenya made a
successful input in
first day of the
sixteen African
Nations Championship
as they all achieved
their first victory
in the opening day
here at the
University of Kwa
Zulu Natal’s
Westville Campus
Sports Centre in
Durban, South Africa
on Sunday. Egypt
started their way
easily defeating
Zimbabwe in straight
sets and the same
for the hoist team
who set a similar
victory over
Mozambique, while
Kenya won Botswana
in the most exciting
match of the opening
day.
Egypt vs. Zimbabwe
Defending
champions, Egypt
made their
intentions quite
clear from the first
whistle that the
coveted CAVB
silverware will be
heading north after
their effortless
victory over
Zimbabwe 3-0 (25-18,
25-13, 25-11) in
Pool B. The first
set showed Egyptian
dominance of the
winners through
their better
performance by the
net to win 25-18
against a vastly
improved Zimbabwe.
Egypt’s run away
19-9 lead in the
second set crushed
Zimbabwe’s hopes of
up setting the
defending champions.
The Egyptians
wrapped up the set
25-12. The highly
talented Egyptian
playmaker, Abdalla
had a field day
making the best of
excellent passing
that provided a
solid platform to
set up his attackers
who were merciless
in their execution
of their power game
plan. The North
Africans service
posed huge problems
for the contenders
from Zone 6 whose
passing let them
down in crucial
times. With Abdalla
creating a variety
of attacking options
the Egyptians
hammered the
Zimbabweans 25-11 to
register a straight
sets win.
In the post match
interview the
Zimbabwean
captain,Twanda
Sithole said that
although his team
entered the
encounter with much
hope and confidence
they lost the plot
midway through the
first set when the
defending champions
went into over
drive. “We showed
too much respect for
the Egyptians which
eventually sowed the
seeds of our down
fall,” commented
Sithole.
On the other hand
the Egyptian coach
was very happy with
his team’s
performance. He went
on to say that it
was not necessary
for his team to
extend themselves as
the Zimbabweans were
not a real threat.
Eventually the class
exhibited by the
Egyptians
overwhelmed their
opponents.
South Africa vs.
Mozambique
South Africa’s
Egyptian born head
coach, Hamid El
Wassimy was beaming
with confidence
after his team
demolished
Mozambique in
straight sets
(25-16, 25-17,
25-14) in Pool A
encounter at the
University of Kwa
Zulu Natal’s
Westville Campus
Sports Centre.
However, one would
expect that a team
that had five (5)
changes a week
before the
championship would
struggle to maintain
their shape and
form. Experienced
campaigner in the
international arena,
Gershon Rorich, SA
team’s new captain,
proved the critics
wrong and posted a
convincing win to
advance closer to
the knock out stage
of the African
continental
showpiece. A win
against Rwanda will
assure Wassimy’s men
a place in the
semi-finals.
Choosing his
starting six purely
on experience the
cautious Egyptian
wanted his charges
to immediately make
an impact on the
game by putting the
pressure on SA’s
Northern neighbours.
The South Africans
obeyed their coach’s
instructions and
raced to a 16-7 lead
that stopped the
Mozambique dead in
their tracks.
Rorich’s fluid
setting created
ample opportunities
for Freedom Chiya,
Thokozani Ntuli,
Duran Soobramoney
and Peter Size to
put the opening set
beyond the reach of
their opponents by
recording a 25-16
win. The ease in
which the SA team
posted their win
gave Coach Wassimy
the latitude to
experiment with
different playing
options by giving
the first timers in
the national team a
chance to prove
themselves. At the
post match interview
coach Wassimy said
that he was pleased
with the manner in
which his’rookies’
adjusted to the
demands of top
flight volleyball
and was looking
forward to giving
them more game time
in the remaining
matches to boost
their confidence.
Meanwhile in the
second set SA’s main
attacker Freedom
Chiya and middle
blocker, Sugen
Govender were
rested. Lloyd Brady
and Patrick
Klostermann were
thrown into the
fray. Veteran
playmaker Ryaan
Lahldas who was
drafted into the
national team after
an absence of two
years lost nothing
of his sparkle as he
unleashed his
attackers with
venom. Rorich was
particularly
devastating as he
took apart the
Mozambique defence
by putting quick
points on the board.
Nicknamed the‘Red-hot’
attacker by the SA
fans Gershon Rorich
closed proceeding in
the second set with
25-17 score line.
When newcomers,
Lloyd Brady and
Jamine Naidoo were
brought into the
match in the third
set they did not
disappoint their
coach as they
immediately made
their presence felt.
Latching onto
Lahldas’s crafty
sets the duo blasted
their way past the
hapless Mozambique
blockers. Naidoo’s
quick fire attack
from position 2 left
the opposition
stranded as SA put
them out of their
misey by taking the
set 25-14. The South
Africans will face
Rwanda in their
second encounter on
Tuesday.
Kenya vs. Botswana
The final match on
the opening day was
the encounter
between the highly
fancied Kenyans and
Botswana which was
won by the former
3-1 (25-21, 25-20,
16-25, 25-19). With
both teams playing a
similar style of
volleyball it was
the Kenyans who drew
first blood through
one of Africa’s most
feared attackers,
Philip Maiyo who as
always is a handful
for his opponents’
blockers. Maiyo
helped keep his team
ahead by popping up
every time to put a
few quick points on
the board. However
well timed blocking
by Botswana brought
them back into
contention as they
edged dangerously
close at 21-23. It
was the experience
of the Kenyans at
this level of
competition that saw
them through with a
25-22 win.
For the first time
Botswana grabbed a
slender lead in the
second set 12-11.
Failure to build on
the lead gave the
Kenyans the chance
they were looking
for to regain the
lead. After
levelling the scores
at 12-12, Maiyo’s
men patiently built
on their lead. At
22-22 Botswana was
thrown a life line.
However crucial
errors in defence
left them stranded
at points. Kenya
breathed a sigh of
relief after they
marched past
Botswana with a
25-20 score line.
The Botswana coach,
Carlos Fellove Orta
soon realised that
change was necessary
to keep his team’s
hopes alive in the
encounter as they
were already 2 sets
down. A spirited
fight back ensued
with Francis Dingwe,
Shadrack Modiakgotla
and Tabaka Mothudi
taking on the
Kenyans. Botswana’s
tall middle blocker,
Happy Ribbin
marshalled the
defence at the net
superbly to help his
team surge ahead to
lead (19-11). For
the first time
Kenyan danger man,
Maiyo was feeling
the strains of being
denied a free
passage to blast his
way past the
Botswana blockers.
Giving very little
away, Botswana had a
strangle hold on the
game which allowed
them to punish the
Kenyans with a
richly deserved
25-16 win. Unable to
maintain their
winning ways,
Botswana lost their
grip on the crucial
4th set
as the Maiyo factor
once again became a
huge problem for
Botswana. The
Kenyans won the
encounter 25-19.
By Donovan Nair,
South Africa
Volleyball
Federation Press
Officer.
