Semifinal
Kenya and Algeria through to
final
 Nairobi,
Kenya, September 9, 2007-: The biggest experienced teams Kenya
and Algeria succeeded to overcome their opponents Egypt and
Tunisia in a classic semifinal to qualify to the final spot of
the 16th Women’s African Nations Championship here at Moi
International Sports Centre in Kasarani, Nairobi- Kenya on
Monday. Kenya meets Algeria in the final match on Tuesday, while
Egypt plays Tunisia for the bronze medal. Kenya will fight for
the fifth consecutive African vacancy at the international
competitions and to have the African vacancy in the 2007 World
Cup in Japan, following their qualification to the 2002 and 2006
World Championships, 2003 World Cup and 2004 Athens Olympic
Games. While Algeria will seek for their first international
slot.
Kenya maintained their record of being the only team to win all
their matches without conceding a set.
The matches were attended by the Algerian Ambassador in Kenya
Ali Ben Zarga, Egyptian counselor in Kenya Yasser Ragab, Control
Committee President Mr. Tom Omongole, CAVB Technical Director
Mrs. Howyda Mondy, Kenya volleyball Federation President Mr.
Waithaka Kioni, Kenya vice president Joseph Tanui and CC members
Mr. Jacob Owiti and Mr. Salamba.
Kenya vs. Egypt
 The
more experienced Kenyan team used the powerful attackers
Wanjiru, Ndasaba and Palanga to pull of a straight sets victory
(25-22, 25-9, 25-21) over Egypt in a usual African clash lasting
69 minutes. After the Egyptians started the match in a superior
performance Kenya came to the match in a suitable time to
overcome the 7 points deficit and win the first set. Egypt
players couldn’t come back due to lack of experience to play for
the bronze medal against Tunisia while Kenya will play the third
consecutive final against Algeria.
The solid block was the way that Egypt started with this match
as both centers Ingy El Shamy and Hagar Badr closed the spaces
against the strong Kenyan Hitters and that allowed Egypt to have
the lead 8-7. The tactical service played by the Egyptian
players made many problems to the Kenyan defense and through the
attackers Noran El Maghawry and Sherihan Sameh Egypt continued
leading 16-12. The Kenyan coach made substitutions to dominate
the net and through the well known hits of Catherine Wanjiru and
Dorcas Ndasaba Kenya came from six points behind to draw 22-22
before using the disturbance in the Egyptian defense to win the
set 25-22. Kenya players started the second set highly motivated
by their supporters while the Egyptian players were disturbed
specially in defense. The Kenyan block led by the emerging
middle blocker Bracksides Agala and Jackline Barasa made the
difference that couldn’t allow Egypt to return back to the match
so Kenya led 8-1 in one side action. Although Egypt arranged
their defense relatively but they couldn’t stop the Kenyan
rockers of Catherine, Ndasaba and Palanga to lose the second set
widely 25-9. The Egyptian coach made some substitutions as he
fielded the substitute setter Sama Aly instead of Eman Tharwat
and played with the promising Salma Badr in position 4, so Egypt
came near again through the wing spikers Salma and Sherihan.
Kenya succeeded again to use the Egyptian disturbed reception to
lead 8-5. Egypt came to the match again through the block of
Ingy so they decreased the point deficit to 16-14. Again Kenya
used their well known spikers to end the job and win the third
set 25-21 and the match in straight sets.
Although the Kenyan head coach was happy to reach the third
consecutive final, he thought that his team didn’t play their
optimum specially in the first set. He chooses his spikers
Catherine who scored 14 points, Dorcas, the match scorer with 18
points and Palanga as his best performing players in the match.
“We suffered from the Egyptian service in the first set because
we didn’t receive well and thus the Egyptians were better. I
told my players that we should play a tough game against the
good performing Egyptians and they did starting from the second
set and didn’t allow the Egyptians to come back again. Our block
did also good job today and controlled the Egyptian good spikers
in the third set.
The Egyptian coach Hesham Badrawy was happy with the performance
of the young players although he finally lost the match. “We
used today 5 players in the field from the youth team that
qualified to the World championship this year and this is our
great achievement after Toto retired. We played well in the
first set but when the team dropped and lost the set we couldn’t
come back due to the lack of experience.” He added.
Algeria vs. Tunisia
 Algeria
went through to their second final in a raw after they achieved
the same early this year in All Africa Games in their homelands
last July where they won the crown. The new African big force
clinched a valuable victory over the new comers Tunisia 3-1
(21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-18) in an exciting semifinal lasting 97
minutes. Algeria plays the final on Tuesday against Kenya, while
Tunisia meets Egypt for the bronze medal. The Algerian attacker
Faiza Tsabet was the star of the match not only with her 27
points scored by which she was the match scorer, but also by her
tactical work through changing her position between spiking from
position 4 and position 2.
The Tunisian team began the match more disciplined and thus they
controlled the net through the middle blocker Massara Ben Huma
and Mariem Agrebi so they led 8-6 by the first technical time
out. The Algerian players fell in many reception and digging
mistakes as Tunisia started to use their big guns Nihel El Ghoul
from position 2 and Arbia Rafrari from position 4 and so Tunisia
continued leading 16-13. Algeria couldn’t use their well known
spiker Faiza Tsabet due to improper setting following the bad
reception, but they tried to come back with the activity of the
centre Mouni Abdelrahim but the Tunisia defense continued their
superior performance to win the set 25-22. Algeria began the
second set with more organized strategy as the coach substituted
the attacker Dounia Madi by the Tatma Djaouad and started using
the setting to position 4 which was used efficient spiker Faiza
and the opposite player Zohra Bensalem from position 2. Algeria
led 8-4, then 16-11 after the middle blocker Lydia Oloumou
controlled the block against the Tunisian attacks who couldn’t
penetrate the Algerian block easily like they did in the first
set and thus Algeria won the set 25-21. The Algerian coach made
tactical substitution as he played with the attacker Faiza in
position 2 while the opposite Zohra played as an attacker from
position 4. Algeria continued their dominance by the net through
the impermeable block that didn’t allow Tunisia to use their
strong attackers and thus Algeria went through easily to lead
8-4 at the first technical time out. The Tunisian team tried to
rearrange their defense and they build up their attacks using
the strong hits of Arbia and Nihel. The Tunisian coach also
substituted the setter Asama Ben Cheikh by Marwa Brahoumi as
Tunisia decreased the point deficit gradually but they couldn’t
draw and finally Algeria ended the set with a efficient spike
from Faiza. Tunisia started the fourth set aggressively as they
improved the reception and led 6-3 before Algeria regained the
rhythm and used the fast spikes of Lydia and Mouni to lead 8-6.
The Tunisian players fell in reception and service mistakes to
allow Algeria to continue leading 16-11. Tunisia struggled to
save the match as the coach used the main setter Asma who set
well to Nihel who scored some points to allow her team to come
near 15-16 before Algeria dominated the match through their
tactical service to win the set 25-18 and the match 3-1.
Algeria head coach Mouloud Ikhedji was happy to reach to the
final and the result of his work. “I changed the position of
some players to establish the equilibrium by the net through
keeping good players continuously in block to stop the Tunisian
attacks and so I put Faiza in position 2 in the second set to
create this equilibrium.” Mouloudi said. He added that Tunisia
is a respectful team who made many difficulties for them through
their block and strong hits which was controlled by their new
strategy.” He added.
Tunisia head coach was very sad to lose the match although he
was playing for the final and left the field immediately.
Final Programme
1st and 2nd positions: Kenya vs. Algeria
3rd and 4th Position: Egypt vs. Tunisia
Photo Caption
The match star Faiza spiking against Tunisian block
Double block of Egypt against block spike of the Kenyan star
Dorcas
Dr. Amr Elwani with the Algerian team after qualifying to final.
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