Kenyan skipper gives Botswana the thumbs-up

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Tuesday February 22, 2011 00:00

 

The two teams used the encounter to prepare for the All Africa Games (AAG) qualifiers that start next Monday in Durban, South Africa.

Though the Botswana women gave good account of themselves, they lost 3-2 to their more fancied side. 'I am actually surprised with the way they played, we did not expect them to be so tough,' Rotich said after the game.  She said the team has improved tremendously in a short time. Rotich, however, said it was important for the local side to work hard on growing their confidence. She said the reason they lost the first set with a bigger margin of 13-25 was because they did not believe in themselves. 'But they started developing confidence as the game progressed and had they started that way, they could have beaten us,' she said.

The Botswana team indeed gave a good account of themselves keeping the East Africans on their toes for the good part of the game. However, their main undoing was in the block and the service. Local players were most of the time cautioned for touching the net while players like Tsholofelo Retshabile and Monica Alfred were poor in service. Botswana started the game on a low note but recollected themselves in the second set that they led for some time with Mafolofolo's Lizzy Gasekgonwe playing exceptionally well. Botswana won the second set 25-23 in a closely-contested game. The see-saw continued as the visitors won the third set 25-14 with Botswana winning the fourth set 25-22.

Pressure seemed to be taking its toll in the fifth set as both sides played with much caution because it was going to decide the winner. Though they were trailing with a huge margin for some time in the last set, the  local girls fought to narrow Kenya's lead to four when the score was 9-13. From there, Botswana scored three goals consecutively without missing a serve. The Kenyans, who at the time were also shivering, committed a lot of mistakes, but eventually won the set 15-13.

Botswana assistant coach, Isaac Samuel, was impressed at the way his team played. 'We played according to our plan and our combination worked so well,' Samuel said.

He said the game helped him to identify his team's weaknesses adding that he will work on rectifying them before the qualifiers kick-off. Samuel said the main problem was with the block as his players touched the net most of the time.

Samuel said Kenya play fast volleyball and that that would help his side to vary their play because they play slow volleyball.  Both men's and women's teams leave for the AAG qualifiers in the South African coastal city of Durban on Thursday.