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Kenya Prisons face Al Ahly test at Africa Club Championship


Kenya Prisons’ reward for making it to the quarterfinals of the ongoing men’s Africa Club Volleyball Championships in Tunisia is a tough draw against defending champions Al Ahly of Egypt.

The match, which is one of the four quarter-final games on the cards in Thursday, will serve off at 6pm Kenyan time.

Following a slow start, Prisons, who are the reigning Kenyan champions, stormed the quarters of this annual competition on Wednesday night, with a convincing 3-0 (25-21, 25-16 and 25-13) sets win over Congolese side Espoire in their final group D match.

This result marked Prisons second straight win in their group in as many days, coming after that relatively straight forward 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-13) thrashing of Benin’s Police 24 hours earlier.

UNBEATEN

But then Prisons, who also lost 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-17) to hosts Etoile du Sahel in their opening game of the tournament last Friday, would surely have hoped for another opponent in the last eight other than the highly rated Ahly who are so far unbeaten in the competition.

As a matter of fact, coach Gideon Chenje and his team have conceded that they would have fancied their chances against the other quarter-finalists FAP (Cameroon), or even Alswenly and Assarya, all from Libya.

“We now have no choice other than face them (Ahly) and fight to death. We have a chance because in any game, all the teams playing have a chance. But they are a very good side and we have to be prepared,” Chenje told Nation Sport on phone from Tunis.

Ahly who are 11 time winners of this competition, are yet to drop a set in this competition, having comfortably beaten Ahly Benghazi (Libya), Esperance (Tunisia) and Bafia (Cameroon) to emerge top in Group A.

Quarter-final fixtures: (Thursday)

Al Ahly vs Kenya Prisons

Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) vs Esperance (Tunisia)

Alswenly (Libya) vs Assarya (Libya)

Bordj (Algeria) vs FAP (Cameroon)

Classification fixtures: (to determine positions 9-16)

Ahly Benghazi (Libya) vs As Police (Benin)

Espoire (Congo) vs Bafia (Cameroon)

B Alnahda (Sudan) vs C Douanes (Burundi)

C Kibungo (Rwanda) vs Finances (Benin)