Abiud Chirchir

Grand Nancy's Kenyan opposite attacker Abiud Chirchir (right) attacks the ball in a past French Ligue B match.

| Pool | Grand Nancy

Cameroon women gain ground in roller-coaster year for Kenya

What you need to know:

  • Outgoing KVF chairman Kioni blames poor performance by Malkia Strikers on failure to invest in youth development
  • Coach Bitok’s squad lost to Cameroon in Afcon and World Championship qualifiers in Rwanda, but both teams qualified for 2022 global championship set for Poland and the Netherlands later in the year

Despite the Malkia Strikers having made a comeback to the Olympic Games after a 17-year hiatus in Tokyo last summer, the dominance by Kenya’s national women's volleyball team in Africa is slowly slipping away.

For a team that has dominated on the continent since the 1990s, winning the African Cup of Nations a record nine times, recent performances trigger the alarm bells.

In 2017, Malkia Strikers lost in straight sets to rivals Cameroon in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Yaoundé and since then, the West Africans have proved a hard nut to crack.

Kenya last won the Africa title at home in 2015.

However, Malkia Strikers atoned for the losses in 2019 and 2020 to win Africa Games and the Olympic qualifiers 3-1 (12-25, 25-15, 26-24, 25-21) and 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-12), respectively, before they lost ground again this year.

The team, under the guidance of Paul Bitok, succumbed to Cameroon during the African Nations Cup-cum-World Championship qualifiers which was staged in Rwanda.

Cameroon defeated Kenya 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23) although both teams booked tickets to the worlds scheduled for Poland and Netherlands next year.

However, Kenya found consolation in Sharon Chepchumba, Glady Ekaru and Mercy Moim who were feted as the best attacker, best blocker and best receiver, respectively.

Prior to the tournament, national team regulars Jane Wacu, Violet Makuto and Noel Murambi turned down team call-ups citing personal commitments.

Outgoing Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF)chairman Waithaka Kioni offered that there is still a ray of hope for a better future.

“It’s too early to call but in recent times, the odds have been for Cameroon majorly because of their investment in the age-group competitions which has seen players transition as a unit, something Kenya has not been keen on.

“Previous officials at the Ministry of Sports weren’t supportive of the sport but I’m happy that things are changing for the better with the current office. The way forward is to invest in the youth,” he said.

“I will not contest in next year’s election (at KVF) but one thing I’m sure of, I will leave the sport in the hands of sound leadership that will take the sport to the next level,” said Kioni, who thanked the volleyball fraternity for the profound support and confidence they have given him for over 20 years of service.

In August, Kenya competed at the Olympics and failed to record a win, or even grab a set. Kenya had previously featured in the Olympics in 2000 (Sydney) and 2004 (Athens).

In Tokyo, the team was under Brazilian coaches Luizomar de Moura (head coach), Jefferson Arosti (assistant coach),  Marcelo Vitorino de Souza (strength and conditioning trainer) and Roberto Opice Neto (team manager), all seconded to Kenya by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

In Japan, Kenya lost all her Pool ‘A’ matches against hosts Japan, South Korea, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Serbia in straight sets against to  finish last.

Pool ‘B’ had Argentina, Turkey, USA, Russia, Italy and China formed Pool ‘B’. USA beat Brazil 3-0 in the final to win the Olympics title.

After returning from the Olympics, flamboyant setter Wacu took a break from national team duties to pursue other ventures. Her exit paved the way for Joy Lusenaka, who has been in Wacu’s shadow for a while now, and the promising Esther Mutinda to show their mettle.

“I have done it all. I have played in every international event that any other athlete would have loved to, and I gave my all the best way I could,” said Wacu.

“Definitely this is not the end of me, but I take pride in the fact that during my time, the team played in key tournaments, among them the 2015 FIVB World Grand Prix in Australia,” the 36-year-old Tetu High School alumnus said.

Kenya men’s team featured in only one event – the Africa Nations Championships in September in Rwanda, with good results. They broke the North African jinx, beating Egypt after many years of trying.

Kenya rallied from behind to beat the fancied Egyptians 3-2 (19-25, 25-22, 25-20, 18-25 and 15-12) but failed to go past the group stage. The team lost its subsequent group stage match against Morocco 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-21) and earned a walk-over against Tanzania who were disqualified from the tournament after they failed to pay the participation fee.

After the victory over Egypt, some of the national team players caught the eyes of scouts from North African clubs.

National team captain Enock Mogeni is away in Egypt with club Smouha on a seven-month contract, while dependable General Service Unit (GSU) left attacker Cornelius Kiplagat signed a six-month deal with Talae Elgish (Army Club) which plays in Egypt’s second-tier league.

The team under stewardship of coach Gideon Tarus with his two assistants - Kenya Prisons men’s tactician David Lung’aho and Kenya Ports Authority’s Sammy Mulinge – along with trainer Elisha Aliwa, later finished ninth in the 16-nation championship.

Lung’aho said victory against the North Africans had boosted players’ morale and they now believe in themselves more.

Champions Tunisia and Cameroon booked tickets to next year’s World Championships to be hosted in Russia. Unlike the women’s team that has only one professional player in Seychelles (Jane Wacu), the men’s team has Abiud Chirchir (Grand Nancy, France) and Michael Chemos (Mouloudia, Tunisia).

At the club level, GSU retained the KVF League title. Kenya Prisons again played second fiddle to the paramilitary side, while KPA, who made remarkable improvement in 2019 by finishing second, came third ahead of much improved Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

In the women’s category, the status quo prevailed as Kenya Prisons successfully defended the title, and a star-studded KCB again failed to capture the title. Kenya Pipeline Company came in third as Directorate of Criminal Investigations finished fourth.

GSU, Kenya Prisons (men and women) and KCB automatically qualified for the next year’s African Club Championships after they finished the 2021 league in first and second positions respectively.

During the club championships early this year in Tunisia, KPA, who were making a their first appearance in the tournament, finished fifth while GSU completed the 20-club competition in seventh position. ES Tunis saw off Zamalek 3-0 in the final to win the tournament.

In the women’s category, Prisons bagged the bronze medal while Kenya Pipeline was ranked fifth as CF de Carthage won the title after defeating CS Sfaxien 3-0 in the final.

In beach volleyball, the women’s pair of Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcidis Agala, and Yvonne Wavinya and Phoscah Kasisi took Kenya to her first appearance at the Olympics.

Kenya saw off Nigerian quartet of Touch Nnoruga and Francisca Albertina as well Francisca Ikhiede and Amarachi Nwachukwu 2-1 (17-21,21-18,15-10) and 2-0 (21-17,21-10) during the FIVB Continental Cup-cum-Olympic qualifiers in Agadir, Morocco.

In the men’s category, the pair of Ibrahim Odour and James Mwaniki alongside Brian Melly and Enock Mogeni finished sixth in the eight nations qualifiers that saw Morocco represent Africa at the Olympics.

Makokha and Agala both of whom have not represented the country in previous editions of the Olympic Games in indoor volleyball, said lady luck smiled at them at an appropriate time.

“It was fulfilling. I’m glad that I  formed part of the history of the Olympic Games The sport can only get better,” Makokha said.

“I’m an Olympian. Of course not through the conventional indoor volleyball as I would have loved, because it’s the first sport I liked, but I hope I have inspired someone who is on the brink of giving up,” Agala added.

In Japan, Kenya, which was represented by Makokha and Agala, failed to win against the United States of America, Brazil and Latvia in Pool ‘D’.