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2008 Men’s African
Clubs Champions Championship-
Misurata, Libya |
Ranking 5-8
Ahli Tripoli fifth, GSU sixth, El Guish seventh and Ahly
BeniGhazi Eighth
Misurata,
Libya, April 17, 2008- Ahly Tripoli of Libya won the
fifth position of the 2008 Men’s African Clubs Champions
Championship after their victory over GSU of Kenya in
the ranking matches here at Misurata, Libya on Thursday,
while El Guish of Egypt defeated Ahli Beni Ghazi of
Libya to win the 7th position.
The competition will feature a big face of on Friday
when the Egyptian derby Al Ahly the record holder of
number of victories in this competition meets the
current Egyptian league champions Zamalek in the final
of the competition to determine the 27th champions of
this competition which started in 1982. The organizers
Swehli of Libya plays Esperance of Tunisia for the
bronze medal.
Ranking 5-6
GSU vs. Ahly Tripoli
Ahly Tripoli of Libya aided by the highly excited
spectators succeeded to set a 3-2 victory over the
struggling GSU of Kenya after a five set long Marathon
lasting two hours of thriller action 3-2 (25-20, 23-25,
25-17, 16-25, 15-13). The Libyan team achieved the 5th
position which is the best ranking in the history of
Libyan teams in the African competitions away from
Swehli that play for the 3rd and 4th positions on
Friday. GSU ended the long journey of tiebreak in the
6th position.
Ahly Tripoli started the match with high spirit aided by
big spectator attendance in Ettasadi Hall and succeeded
to lead frequently through the left attackers Fouad El
Maarouf and Anen Youssef to lead regularly 8-6 at the
FTT. GSU tried to use their efficient spikers by the net
like David Kebenfi and Elphas Biwott, but Ahly block
succeeded to relief the stress and continued leading
16-13 at the STT. Ahly setter the Serbian Uros Polovic
led his team by the skillful combinations to allow his
team to win the set 25-20.
In the second set Ahly Tripoli continued their dominance
through the blockers Ayman Manchiri and Majdi Salem who
succeeded to stop the attacks of the Kenyan spikers to
lead 8-2 at the FTT. Ahly continued leading due to the
repeated mistakes of GSU players so they continued
leading 16-10. GSU suddenly came to the match through
their spikers Biwott and Kebemfi to reach to the first
draw in the match 22-22. They also used the problems in
Ahly block to win the set 25-23.
Ahly started to use the spike service of Salem and
Youssef and succeeded to disturb the Kenyan block to
lead 5-3 and reached to 8-7 at the FTT. GSU block
improved markedly through the centers Dunson Tali to
stay near for a while until Ahly coach played with the
Nigerian Jonah Adamu as opposite in position 2, so Ahly
regained the lead until they won the set 25-17.
GSU returned back to their disciplined backline defense
and succeeded to use this to build up the attacks that
allowed them to lead 8-2. Ahly deployed their block to
decrease the point deficit gradually till they draw
11-11. GSU coach made substitutions and played with the
left attacker Bernard Musumba to regain the lead 16-14.
As the Kenyan team continued their impermeable blocking
they succeeded to win the set 25-16 and draw 2-2 in sets
to extend the match to tiebreak.
In the tiebreak Ahly used again the weapon of spike
service of Al Maarouf to lead 5-2 and then the centre
Salem did his best in blocking to reach to 8-5 at the
turn of the court. GSU tried to use the experience of
five sets matches they played in this competition and
arranged their defense to draw 10-10. With the highly
excited spectators were highly motivated but GSU players
to maintain the draw until 13-13, but Ahly succeeded to
score two points to win the set 15-13 and the Marathon
3-2.
Ranking 7-8
El Guish vs. Ahly Beni Ghazi
El Guish of Egypt swept Ahly Beni Ghazi of Libya in
straight sets 25-14, 25-15, 25-12 in mniutes. El Guish
wanted to remove the bad impression of losing against
GSU of Kenya in the last match and took the matter
seriously and almost they dominated the match completely
through the strong spike service that didn’t allow Ahly
to enter the match throughout the three sets. El Guigh
ended the competition in the 7th position although they
were second in the 2007 edition in Niger. Ahli Beni
Ghazi finished in the 8th position.
El Guish started the match with their stranding players
and were serious from the start to win the match as they
deployed their block of Emmanuel Friday and Mahmud Gaber
to stop Ahly attacks to lead 8-5. Ahly tried to come
back to the match using the through the spikes of El
Muntaser to reach to 11-10. El Guish regained the rhythm
and succeeded to win all the rallies through the spikes
of Nathan and Islam Awad to end the set 25-14
comfortably.
The second set showed again good services from El Guish
specially Emmanuel and Nathan that were not tolerated by
Ahly team and thus El Guish kept their lead all through
the set till they won the set 25-15.
Ahly tried to save the match as they increased their
activity by the net through Ibrahim Elsayed and Hosam
Milad, but their reception didn’t allow them to do that
and also El Guish maintained their pressure through the
spike services to lead comfortably 8-2 at th FTT and
continued their sweeping till 16-7 at the STT. Nathan,
Allaa Shaheen and Mohamed Radwan did well for El Guish
to win the set 25-12 and the match 3-0.
Final Program Friday 18
April
3rd and 4th positions: Swehli (Libya) vs. Esperance
(Tunisia)
1st and 2nd positions: Al Ahly (Egypt) vs. Zamalek
(Egypt)
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