Mulinge’s charges managed a fifth-place finish in their last outing, beating Tunisian side Kelibia 3-2 (20-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-10)
Coach Sammy Mulinge is looking to guide his charges, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) men’s volleyball side to the last four when the Mombasa-based side takes on the rest of the continent in this year’s CAVB club championships set for Tunis, Tunisia.
The men’s club event has been scheduled for 9 to 22 May while the women are set to get down to business from 13 to 26 the same month, setting the stage for exciting clashes in the North African country.
Mulinge’s charges managed a fifth-place finish in their last outing, beating Tunisian side Kelibia 3-2 (20-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-10) an amazing comeback against a strong opponent to retain their debut position.
Heading to last year’s championship, KPA held hopes of doing better than on their debut but a straight-sets loss to Cameroon's Port Douala in the quarter-finals crashed their hopes.
However, the tactician says the time is right for his side to fight for a last four and by extension a podium finish. With good preparations, he believes Kenyan clubs have what it takes to compete for the podium.
“The team’s management has pledged to offer us all the support we need for this year’s preparations. We plan to be in camp for about two months and get ready for the task ahead as we look to improve on our performance from the two editions ,” Mulinge says.
The other Kenyan representatives for the men’s competition will be third-place KVF league finishers Trailblazers who will be making their debut on the continental scene while national league holders General Service Unit (GSU) are expected to make a return after missing out last year.
In the women’s competition, continental champions KCB are expected to return for their title defense. The Japheth Munala-coached side will, however, expect tough competition from last year’s bronze medalist and newly crowned national champions Kenya Pipeline.
Former champions Prisons Kenya who struggled for third place in the national league and were fifth in last year’s continental showpiece are also expected to feature.