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Day 4
Egypt set third
victory over Tunisia in early final
Nairobi, Kenya, September 12, 2008- Egypt set their
third victory in a raw over Tunisia in an early final of
the 2008 Women’s African Nations Championship her at Moi
international sports center of Kasarani in Nairobi,
Kenya on Thursday. The competition fourth day showed
also Kenya second victory over Senegal.
Egypt 3 Tunisia 1
 The
battle for the slot to represent Africa in the Junior
World volleyball championship in intensified with
bigwigs Egypt locking horns with Tunisia.
Spurred by their 100 percent record in the competition,
Tunisia started the match stronger as they restricted
the defending champions to do the chasing and claimed a
8-3 lead at the first technical time out.
Left attacker Fatma Gtari and Sonia Ben Youssef were
instrumental in landing the scores for the Tunisia side
as they coordinated well with setter Faten Habachi.
Efforts by Egypt coach Badrawy Hesham to slow down the
game did little to stop the Tunisia as they rushed to a
16-10 lead.
However, improved performance by Hussein Yasmin, Emam
Menatalla and Elbitar Dina were enough to step on the
brakes for the Tunisia as Egypt clawed back into
contention. However a time out by Tunisia coach Rached
Chebbi was enough to break the Egyptian surge and they
went on to claim the first set 25-23.
But Egypt showed their resistance in the second set as
they went on the offensive dictating the pace over the
net and Nassef Nada was instrumental in putting her side
ahead as she scored four quick points with strong
spikes. Efforts by Maroua Boughanmi and Nouha Cherif to
block her off was not enough to slow reduce the Egyptian
steam as they took a 7-2 lead at the technical time out.
Egypt were in class of their own as they went full
throttle in attack and their efforts paid divident as
they rushed to a 16-10 lead and went on to win the set
25-20 to put the two sides on level terms.
The third set started slowly as each side was cautious
not to make mistakes and they both restricted themselves
to dodges. But it was Egypt that got the edge and
started gaining points as the Tunisian side struggled to
settle down. They took a 8-4 lead at the first time out.
Things did not improve for Tunisia despite attempts by
their coach to bring in changes in pattern of play and
substitutions. Egypt were stronger as Nermin Maaty and
Nada scored the crucial points through their superb
blocks and spikes. They went on to claim a 23-13 lead.
But Tunisia managed to regain some composure and took
the game to their opponent side sealing off the
penetration over the net to their court and made gains
to see them get to 24-17.
Badrawy called for time out and when Egypt returned, it
was gone conclusion hat the set was theirs as they took
it at 25-17.
But mistakes in the Tunisia camp reigned in the third
set to allow Egypt regain after having trailed at one
time 4-0 to see the two sides tie at 5-5. Egypt Libero
Ahmed Esraa was very alart picking all the drop balls to
see them lead 8-7 at the breather.
The two sides tied at 12-12 as each committed mistakes
and opened up. Egypt claimed a 16-14 lead at the second
technical time out. They tied at 17-17 but Egypt opened
up to have a 24-18 lead. However, Tunisia gave it
everything in bid to salvage the set to see Badrawy call
time out at 24-21. Egypt won the set 25-21.
Kenya 3 Senegal 0
Kenya came back from their rest day with a 3-0 drabbing
over a resilient Senegal .Kenya had plenty of top
quality and talent on court in Everline Makuto and Nelly
Nafula, but that couldn’t have stopped the Senegalese
taking a 4-1 lead.
Poor setting and serves by the Kenyans helped Senegal
dominate the first minutes of thye match with Diop Amina
doing all the damage with breathtaking spikes. They led
8-7 at the first technical half.
On the restart, a brilliant dig by Jecinta Nafula to
deny Amina’s back-court attack was followed by a Makuto
spike into the corner, giving the local girls and the
fans something to celebrate about.
After finding their foot with a four-point lead, 16-12,
at the second technical time out, a successive relay of
receiving blunders saw the parity reduced to 16-15,
thanks to thunderous strikes from Amina and Mbow
Maguette for the visitors.
Nafula, who had already shown her speed and precision at
the net, added a service ace, and Kenya held a
five-point lead, 24-19, before the Senegalese called for
a time out. The visitors were finding points hard to
come by, although Amina and Adama both scored with
eye-catching plays. These didn’t help as the Kenyans won
25-19 for the set.
Come the second set and Kenyans were breathing fire as
they took an early 4-1 lead.
Communication in the Kenyan side came in handy as they
tried to fend off the threatening Senegalese.
Khaemba pounded a glorious winner on the left to send
Senegal trailing 8-5. Kenya made two changes on the
restart, but it was Brendah Kamamos who continued to pop
up for points, with Dorine Khaemba bagging points with
her pin-point serves. Senegal’s head coach couldn’t take
the storms lying down and was forced to call for a time
out trailing 11-15. That didn’t change the status much,
as the parity between both teams continued to widen at
19-14, with Senegal brining in Tall Awa Awa for Fatou
Mamy.
Again, blocking mistakes from the Kenyan centre saw
Senegal rally from five-points down to inch close at
24-23, with Kenya only requiring a set point.
Despite her 167cm height, Khaemba was outstanding as she
steered the Kenyan ship to their second set win, 25-23,
thanks to her pin-point strikes from the right.
In the third set, similar to the first, Senegal took an
early 3-1 lead, but saw Makuto score two points, despite
losing a serve to stand at 4-3. But this seemed the most
competitive set of the three, as both teams continued to
exchange lead, while maintaining a single-point
difference. But Kenya had the last laugh to lead 8-7 at
the first technical time out.
On resumption, Kenyans were displaying what all funs had
been yearning for, a well-oiled mode of play to widen
the difference to 14-11. Again, Makuto on the right,
Ndiema Chemtai at the centre and Nafula left, the local
girls kept the Senegalese blockers, Adama, Mamy and
Dacosta Mado very busy with a series of attacks. Kenya
led 16-13 at the final technical time out.
By Chris Musumba, Kenya volleyball Fed. Press officer
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