All Africa Games: Nigeria in good start as volleyball event kicks off

Nigeria and the Kenyan women volleyball teams started their campaign for the All Africa Games on a winning note in their respective matches in Brazaville Congo.

Ahead of the opening ceremony of the competition, Friday, volleyball competition started in earnest in Congo’s main town.

Nigeria beat a hapless Mozambique side three sets to nil just before a youthful Kenyan side coached by Paul Gitau took on Algeria.

Algeria looked strong in the first set which they beat the East Africans but there was no stopping Kenya in the subsequent sets which they easily won to emerge 3-1 victors.

Coach Gitau said he was not surprised Kenya won because after a slow start to the game, they mastered their opponents’ tactics.

Kenya with a team made up of greenhorns were the second best in the first set as coach Gitau attributed it to nervousness but when they took charge of the second set, they went all the way making Algeria coach Benomar Taufek to tip Kenya to go far given its history in the sport.

Algeria took the first set 25-23 but Kenya won the second 25-19 and 25-15 in the third set before wrapping it up with a 25-23 win.

Taufek said Kenya are strong and physical and took advantage of his sides failure to deal with pressure.

But Algeria captain Sophia Boukhima believes they will get better as the tournament continues.