By Oscar Pilipili
Makuto sisters Asha of Kenya Pipeline and Evelyn, a wardress with Prisons, will have no love lost as they roll up their sleeves to wrestle for the African Women’s Clubs Championships title.
For some time, Evelyn has religiously played the understudy role to her elder sister Asha. However, she will seek to emerge from her shadows and restrain her from any significant role over the net as Prisons seeks their third continental title in a row.
However, that will not be easy to implement. Kenya Pipeline are on a roll and are crying out for revenge after they were sentenced to one year jail term by their opponents in last year’s finals at Nazarene University gymnasium.
The deciding match dubbed ‘Sisters Act’ epitomise the sibling rivalry that has been associated with Kenyan volleyball of late.
Everlyne had the first opportunity to challenge Asha in last year’s finals, but instead curdled her elder sister who encountered a knee injury in the first set. Everlyne was seated on the bench then. That incident only postponed the inevitable and today Everlyne will have the chance to vent her frustration against Asha as they line up on opposite sides of the net.
Both players are in top form and their teams will definitely be relying on them to lead them to secure the ticket to the World Clubs Championships in Doha, Qatar in October.
Besides the two powerful attackers, Prisons and Pipeline each has an array of arsenal in their armoury pointed at their opponents, aiming to exploit any chink that will be unguarded.
Pipeline coach Japheth Munala has a big field of players from which to chose his line-up, among them veteran Catherine Wanjiru, Asha, Mildred Odwako, Ruth Jepngetich, Esther Wangechi, setter Janet Wanja, Roseline Odhiambo, Emily Chemutai and Rhodah Lyali.
On the other side, Prisons coach David Lung’aho antidote to that threat will rest on inspiring captain Brackcedes Agala, Jane Wacu, Mercy Moim, Everlyne, Lydia Maiyo, Elizabeth Nafula and Loise Tarus. Lung’aho and Munala have both conceded that the final duel will be a cracker.
Munala said: “The final will be tough because Prisons want to retain the trophy and Pipeline wants to snatch it away from them. We’re perfecting our blocks, which will be our main weapon in our campaign to win the match.”
Lung’aho said: “I expected to meet Pipeline in the final from the first day of the tournament and my prediction has come to pass. It will be a tough match because Pipeline has been our main challengers in the tournament where we have played and beaten them in three finals.”
Both teams reached the final without dropping a set.
The trophy remains in Kenya yet the big question is will Prisons be third time lucky or will Pipeline — six times winners — have the strength to reclaim it after six years jinx?
