Gutsy Nigeria dare Malkia Strikers in quarter-final contest

Nigeria coach Samuel Ajayi has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of their Africa Nations Championship quarter-final clash with Kenya on Tuesday at Palais polyvalent des sports (Paposy) arena here in Yaoundé.

Ajayi, who guided Nigeria to a fourth-place finish in Pool 'A', has warned Kenya that his charges will not be cowed by their unbeaten run that saw them finish top of Pool 'B' without dropping a point.

“We are playing one of the best teams in the championship. Kenya were unbeaten in their group stage matches and are very experienced with proper exposure.

“Nigeria will not respect Kenya on the court when both teams meet on Tuesday; this might be our chance to make a huge statement in the championship,” a defiant Ajayi said on Monday.

It will certainly be a tall order for Nigeria against a well-oiled Malkia Strikers side that has displayed high-level volleyball in this championship so far.

Coach Luizomar de Moura said he was impressed by the attitude of his charges despite the challenges they continue to face in Yaoundé.

“I am satisfied with the performance and commitment the team has shown so far. They have stayed focused despite the challenges we are facing. Like today we are training here (Complex Sportif Mfandena) yet the other teams are training at the main court (Paposy arena).

“We have studied Nigeria and have a game plan which we will be sharing with the team. I am confident that we will have a good performance against Nigeria,” said Luizomar who welcomed the availability of Sharon Chepchumba who has fully recovered from an ankle injury.

“Any coach likes to have his full squad at his disposal so I’m happy to have Chepchumba back. She is a really important to the team and her availability brings a nice mood to the team.  

Kenya skipper Mercy Moim echoed Luizomar’s sentiments but urged her teammates not to underrate Nigeria who she described as a “decent opponent”.

“We have worked so hard to get to the knockout stage so we want to continue our momentum. The Morocco game (where Kenya dropped a set in the group stage) was a wake-up call to us. We cannot afford to relax or lose concentration in the knockout stages.

“Some of us have played against Nigerian teams at the African Clubs Championship so we know they are a strong team. We have watched their matches and they have some three to four players who are really good. The most important thing is to play as a team and emerge victorious,” said Moim.

Head-to-head record favours Kenya who have dominated this fixture over the past decade with convincing wins over the West Africans.

Victory for Malkia Strikers will set up a potential clash with hosts Cameroon in the semi-finals as the defending champions face Morocco in the last quarter-final match on Tuesday.

Quarter-finals fixtures (All times EAT)

Egypt v Uganda 2pm

Rwanda v Algeria 4pm

Kenya v Nigeria 6pm

Cameroon v Morocco 8pm