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2008
Women’s junior African Nations Championship
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Egypt set third
victory over Tunisia in early final
Nairobi, Kenya, September 12, 2008- Egypt
set their third victory in a raw over Tunisia in an
early final of the 2008 Women’s African Nations
Championship her at Moi international sports center
of Kasarani in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday. The
competition fourth day showed also Kenya second
victory over Senegal.
Egypt 3 Tunisia 1
The battle for the slot to represent Africa in the
Junior World volleyball championship in intensified
with bigwigs Egypt locking horns with Tunisia.
Spurred by their 100 percent record in the
competition, Tunisia started the match stronger as
they restricted the defending champions to do the
chasing and claimed a 8-3 lead at the first
technical time out.
Left attacker Fatma Gtari and Sonia Ben Youssef were
instrumental in landing the scores for the Tunisia
side as they coordinated well with setter Faten
Habachi. Efforts by Egypt coach Badrawy Hesham to
slow down the game did little to stop the Tunisia as
they rushed to a 16-10 lead.
However, improved performance by Hussein Yasmin,
Emam Menatalla and Elbitar Dina were enough to step
on the brakes for the Tunisia as Egypt clawed back
into contention. However a time out by Tunisia coach
Rached Chebbi was enough to break the Egyptian surge
and they went on to claim the first set 25-23.
But Egypt showed their resistance in the second set
as they went on the offensive dictating the pace
over the net and Nassef Nada was instrumental in
putting her side ahead as she scored four quick
points with strong spikes. Efforts by Maroua
Boughanmi and Nouha Cherif to block her off was not
enough to slow reduce the Egyptian steam as they
took a 7-2 lead at the technical time out.
Egypt were in class of their own as they went full
throttle in attack and their efforts paid divident
as they rushed to a 16-10 lead and went on to win
the set 25-20 to put the two sides on level terms.
The third set started slowly as each side was
cautious not to make mistakes and they both
restricted themselves to dodges. But it was Egypt
that got the edge and started gaining points as the
Tunisian side struggled to settle down. They took a
8-4 lead at the first time out.
Things did not improve for Tunisia despite attempts
by their coach to bring in changes in pattern of
play and substitutions. Egypt were stronger as
Nermin Maaty and Nada scored the crucial points
through their superb blocks and spikes. They went on
to claim a 23-13 lead. But Tunisia managed to regain
some composure and took the game to their opponent
side sealing off the penetration over the net to
their court and made gains to see them get to 24-17.
Badrawy called for time out and when Egypt returned,
it was gone conclusion hat the set was theirs as
they took it at 25-17.
But mistakes in the Tunisia camp reigned in the
third set to allow Egypt regain after having trailed
at one time 4-0 to see the two sides tie at 5-5.
Egypt Libero Ahmed Esraa was very alart picking all
the drop balls to see them lead 8-7 at the breather.
The two sides tied at 12-12 as each committed
mistakes and opened up. Egypt claimed a 16-14 lead
at the second technical time out. They tied at 17-17
but Egypt opened up to have a 24-18 lead. However,
Tunisia gave it everything in bid to salvage the set
to see Badrawy call time out at 24-21. Egypt won the
set 25-21.
Kenya 3 Senegal 0
Kenya came back from their rest day with a 3-0
drabbing over a resilient Senegal .Kenya had plenty
of top quality and talent on court in Everline
Makuto and Nelly Nafula, but that couldn’t have
stopped the Senegalese taking a 4-1 lead.
Poor setting and serves by the Kenyans helped
Senegal dominate the first minutes of thye match
with Diop Amina doing all the damage with
breathtaking spikes. They led 8-7 at the first
technical half.
On the restart, a brilliant dig by Jecinta Nafula to
deny Amina’s back-court attack was followed by a
Makuto spike into the corner, giving the local girls
and the fans something to celebrate about.
After finding their foot with a four-point lead,
16-12, at the second technical time out, a
successive relay of receiving blunders saw the
parity reduced to 16-15, thanks to thunderous
strikes from Amina and Mbow Maguette for the
visitors.
Nafula, who had already shown her speed and
precision at the net, added a service ace, and Kenya
held a five-point lead, 24-19, before the Senegalese
called for a time out. The visitors were finding
points hard to come by, although Amina and Adama
both scored with eye-catching plays. These didn’t
help as the Kenyans won 25-19 for the set.
Come the second set and Kenyans were breathing fire
as they took an early 4-1 lead.
Communication in the Kenyan side came in handy as
they tried to fend off the threatening Senegalese.
Khaemba pounded a glorious winner on the left to
send Senegal trailing 8-5. Kenya made two changes on
the restart, but it was Brendah Kamamos who
continued to pop up for points, with Dorine Khaemba
bagging points with her pin-point serves. Senegal’s
head coach couldn’t take the storms lying down and
was forced to call for a time out trailing 11-15.
That didn’t change the status much, as the parity
between both teams continued to widen at 19-14, with
Senegal brining in Tall Awa Awa for Fatou Mamy.
Again, blocking mistakes from the Kenyan centre saw
Senegal rally from five-points down to inch close at
24-23, with Kenya only requiring a set point.
Despite her 167cm height, Khaemba was outstanding as
she steered the Kenyan ship to their second set win,
25-23, thanks to her pin-point strikes from the
right.
In the third set, similar to the first, Senegal took
an early 3-1 lead, but saw Makuto score two points,
despite losing a serve to stand at 4-3. But this
seemed the most competitive set of the three, as
both teams continued to exchange lead, while
maintaining a single-point difference. But Kenya had
the last laugh to lead 8-7 at the first technical
time out.
On resumption, Kenyans were displaying what all funs
had been yearning for, a well-oiled mode of play to
widen the difference to 14-11. Again, Makuto on the
right, Ndiema Chemtai at the centre and Nafula left,
the local girls kept the Senegalese blockers, Adama,
Mamy and Dacosta Mado very busy with a series of
attacks. Kenya led 16-13 at the final technical time
out
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