FLAWLESS RUN: Kenya conquer hosts Uganda to maintain unbeaten run, qualify for All Africa Games

Kenya's volleyball players celebrate during their Zone 5 All Africa Games Qualifiers Women Volleyball Championships match against Ethiopia at Lugogo Indoor Arena in Kampala on April 22, 2015. Kenya won 3-0. Photo/Stephen Mudiari/www.pic-centre.com. (UGANDA).

Kenya and Egypt women’s national volleyball teams have qualified for the All Africa Games slated for September in Congo Brazzaville.

It was a magic evening for Malkia Strikers yesterday as they completed their remarkable run at the Zone Five Qualifiers in Kampala, silencing rivals Uganda in straight sets of (25-11, 25- 15, 25-19) in front of their noisy fans at the Lugogo Indoors Arena and leave the tournament unbeaten.

“The strongest opponents were Egypt and I expected to win. East Africa have got strong representatives and we are going for nothing short of gold in Congo,” head coach David Lung’aho told FeverPitch.

The Kenyan heroines played bravely and did not lose control of the game until the final whistle.

Led by skipper Janet Wanja, influential left attacker Mercy Moim and right attacker Easter Wangeci, the African Queens displayed wonderful tenacity and ruthlessness to end the match in less than an hour.

“It was a fantastic display from the team. We expected the tournament environment to be intimidating, but the victory was sweet and special to all of us,” said Wanja.

TEMPORARILY LED

Kenya dominated the match save for the third set which the Lady Cranes temporarily led 8-6 before the Lung’aho-trained side overtook them after the second technical time out.

Prior to the eagerly awaited encounter, Kenya had won all their first three matches to qualify as the top team from the five-team competition with the North African side finishing as runners-up by beating Uganda, Burundi and Ethiopia in straight sets in the round-robin tournament.

In the first match, Kenya beat Egypt 3-1 then drubbed Ethiopia and Burundi in straight sets of (25-19,25-17,25-9) and (25-11,25-13,25-12) in their respective matches.

In an earlier match, Burundi suffered a 3-0 (25-16, 25-12,25-22) defeat to Ethiopia to finish without a win in the competition. The Kenyan team travels back to Nairobi this morning.

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