Kenya Handball Federation (KHF) league champions, National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) men’s handball team, will face Juba City from South Sudan in the quarter-finals of the ongoing 42nd edition of the East and Central Club Championship on Thursday evening in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Kenyan representatives secured their third consecutive victory in Pool A to finish at the top of their group. They triumphed over APR of Rwanda with a score of 33-25 and replicated the same result against Gicumbi, winning 33-25.
In other quarter-final matchups, APR will face their compatriots UB Sports, while Police will take on Gicumbi. Additionally, SOS (Burundi) will compete against Cobra in another fixture. All quarter-final matches are scheduled for Thursday.
The Millers’ coach, Brian Mathews, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance in the preliminary rounds and emphasized the importance of taking each match as it comes.
“In the first match, we were trying to get familiar with the court. We adapted to the weather and the indoor court quickly. So far, every player has stepped up to the challenge. Although we had a few injuries that forced us to play without some key players against Gicumbi, they will be available for our next match,” said Mathews.
“Our game plan remains unchanged: go hard against any team, take each match one at a time, and approach every game as if it’s a final,” he added.
In the women’s category, Nairobi Water registered their first win with a score of 33-25 against the University of Kigali. The reigning champions are set to play their final match against ESC Nyamopole on Saturday, while Police will face the University of Kigali on Friday. The women’s category follows a round-robin format, with the team accumulating the most points claiming the title.
Other Results:
Men:
- APR (32) vs Cobra (28)
- UB Sports (51) vs Juba City (14)
- Police (42) vs SOS (32)
Women:
- Police (45) vs ESC Nyamopole (28)
