Regular national women’s volleyball team right attacker Esther Wangeci has been omitted from the provisional squad ahead of the next month’s African Olympic Qualifiers set for Younde, Cameroon.
The France-based player had initially been called alongside three other International players including sensational setter Jane Wacu and reigning Africa Most Valuable Player Evelyne Makuto, both of Club Charmalieres, and nominee for tomorrow’s Soya Awards Finland-based Mercy Moim.
National team head coach Japheth Munala said the move had been taken because the current right players in the provisional squad including Gaudencia Makokha, Lydia Maiyo, Loise Tarus and Violet Makuto are fit for the position.
Munala, who guided Kenya Pipeline women’s team to retain the Kenya Volleyball Federation (KVF) national league last year, said there was no need to have another player when the technical bench already have a pool of good local players to choose from.
“Yes, it’s true Wangeci will not join us for this particular assignment. We have enough right players who have grown in leaps and bounds and we can only hope for the best,” said the tactician. Munala was also quick to mention that two of the four Kenya Prison’s players were scheduled to join the team yesterday at the Safaricom indoor Arena, Kasarani.
“We expect Ann Lowen and Immaculate Chemutai to join us today (yesterday) in the afternoon training session. However, we are yet to get communication when the remaining two players—Edith Wisa and setter Joy Lusenaka—will be joining us,” said Munala. At the same time, KVF are in talks with Moim’s club Ploki-Orpo to see if the player can join the national team early.
KVF secretary general Evans Wasike said, “Moim’s club have a match on February 7 and so we are in talks with the club to see if they can release the player early but if the talk will not bear fruits, then we will not have a choice but to have the player link up with the rest of the players in Cameroon,” he noted.
He added, “Besides, we have and still are monitoring all our International players progress and so far they are performing well and an issue of not gelling with other players should not arise.”
Wacu and Makuto are expected in the country on February 1 for the event set for February 12-19.