Coach Gitau eyeing history with Kenya Pipeline

Kenya Pipeline volleyball team coach Paul Gitau is itching to make some history with the ladies team by helping them end the 16-year African Clubs Championship title drought.

Gitau, who succeeded Margaret Indakala at the helm of the club last year, has promised to better Pipeline’s previous performance in 2019 when they won bronze at the edition held in Tunisia.

“Now there are so many ladies in Kenya who are playing in high level volleyball but they got their opening through the All Africa Games in 2015. No one knew who they were but I took them to the championships.

“They won the gold medal in the final after beating Cameroon 3-1 (25–15, 14–25, 15–25, 19-25). Now we are ready to prove our worth and will represent the country to the best of our ability.,” Gitau said.

Yvonne Sinaida, who is one of the experienced players at the club said: “I know that it has been long since we won this championship, but I believe we have a squad capable of rewriting history.”

Prisons were Kenya’s last women’s club to lift the title when they beat GSP of Algeria in the 2013 finals in Madagascar, eight years after Pipeline’s triumph.

While Prisons and Pipeline have a combined 12 continental titles between them, the title has been elusive to their men’s counterparts.

For GSU, their best ever performance came in 2009 and 2019 when they finished fifth in both competitions.

The absence of Egyptian and Moroccan in this year’s championship might lessen the burden for the Kenyan clubs.

Kenya will be represented by only four teams in both tournaments after the withdrawal of KCB (women) and Prisons (men).

GSU and Pipeline left the country last night, while Prisons women’s team is scheduled to fly out tomorrow. Kenya Ports Authority arrived in North Africa on Wednesday.