Gloves are off as Kenyan volleyball teams eye Africa Club Cup

   NAIROBI, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenya teams hope their top ranking will see them evade clashing with North African opponents in the preliminary rounds of the Africa women's Club championships in Cairo, Egypt.

  Kenya Prisons and Kenya Pipeline are seeking to end the jinx and win the country its first continental title in five years.

  Prisons head coach David Lung'aho hopes his charges will weather the storm and claim the silverware and a chance to compete at the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championships in Zhejiang Province of China in September.

  "The best strategy would be to avoid giants Al Ahly and El Shaams of Egypt, champions Carthage (Tunisia) and Pipeline in the group stages," Lung'aho said on Monday.

  "The competition will be tough, should all teams arrive, each pool will have at least five matches which is tricky," he added.

  Prisons are the last Kenyan club to win this competition in Madagascar five years ago. Both Kenyan teams arrived in Cairo on Sunday ahead of the drawing of lots to determine the pools on Monday.

  Organizers of the tournament have said Tunisia's CF Carthage arrived in Cairo on Sunday hopeful they will defend their title and make it their third win in history of the competition.

  Al-Ahly, who have eight titles under their belt, have been pitching camp in Slovenia where they played several friendly matches against local clubs. But that experience may count for nothing if they fail to replicate it at home.

  Giants Kenya Pipeline have seven titles to their name, Kenya Prisons (5 titles). Other top  teams are Rwanda Revenue Authority and Cameroon's Injis.

  A total of 22 clubs are up for the battle with the winner clinching the ticket to the World Club Championships in East China.  Enditem