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Malkia Strikers will be seeking to register their second win at the women’s African Nations Championships. They will be playing against Tunisia today at the Kigali Arena.
They lost to reigning champions Cameroon, but they got back on track by flooring Democratic Republic of Congo 3-0 on Monday.
The mixed results left Kenya joint second with three points alongside Tunisia and DRC, a position the Kenyan ladies would not want to be in with the semifinals at stake.
Malkia strikers have to grab an early ticket to the next phase only by wining today’s match. This is an objective by the head coach Paul Bitok who is keen on achieving despite his spikers struggling to hit the ground running.
The new faces after the Olympics seem to be taking too long to pick the rhythm.
Speaking after the DRC win on Monday, the tactician said he is figuring out his new lineup after missing the services of his key players including setter Jane Wacu, left attacker Noel Murambi, middle blocker Triza Atuka and utility player Violet Makuto, who have previously formed Kenya’s starting lineup.
“To create a winning team takes time and the new girls are just getting to know each other. We all believe that it is just a matter of time before they get their chemistry right which will then bring positive results,” said Bitok.
Bitok said the win against DRC will motivate Kenya ahead of today’s game against the West Africans.
“I am impressed with how the players reacted after the opening loss to Cameroon. We’ve perfected in the areas that gave our opponents the advantage, but we will be ready for Tunisia,” said the coach who praised captain Mercy Moim and Sharon Chepchumba for their impressive show.
Moim and Chepchumba are almost getting back to their level best after recovering from their recent injuries, which has seen Bitok start Moim from the bench in the past two matches.
Cameroon are top of Group B standings with six points after beating Kenya and Tunisia in straight sets.
The champions will play DRC as Kenya entertain Tunisia.