African Club Championship: KCB roar back to dump Kenya Pipeline and storm final

Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) produced a stunning comeback to defeat local rivals Kenya Pipeline 3-1 in a semi-final clash and book a place in the CAVB Women's African Volleyball Club Championship final in Cairo.

The Bankers made a slow start, losing the opening set 25-16 as Pipeline dominated early proceedings at the Al Ahly Sports Complex.

However, KCB responded emphatically, regrouping with solid defense, excellent reception and powerful attacking play led by Marline Terry Tata and Esther Mutinda to take control. They swept the next three sets 25-10, 25-15 and 25-19 to seal a memorable turnaround.

The victory sends KCB into their first final since 2022, when they lifted the continental title, and also serves as revenge after losing to Pipeline in the 2023 third-place playoff.

Head coach Japheth Munala praised his team’s resilience, noting that tactical adjustments after the first set proved decisive.

“We served off the game poorly but I’m happy we responded well. We had to adjust tactically after the first set and the players executed our plan perfectly and that helped us win the game,” he said.

KCB had been dominant throughout the tournament, dropping their first set of the campaign in this semi-final after cruising through earlier rounds in straight sets.

They will now face either last year’s runner-up and hosts Al-Ahly or Tunisia’s Carthage Volleyball Club in the final.

Should Al-Ahly storm the final, it will be a repeat of the 2022 final where KCB won 3-1.