Uganda’s Kenyan coach Protus Barasa emerged victorious in a battle of compatriots after masterminding a commanding win over Paul Gitau’s Democratic Republic of Congo to book a place in the quarter-finals of the CAVB Women’s Africa Nations Championship at Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
Barasa guided Uganda to a 3-0 victory of 25-16, 25-18, 25-18 in the Round of 16 clash, with his side successfully neutralising DRC’s powerful serving game to cruise into the last eight.
The victory set up a quarter-final meeting with giants Cameroon, who received a bye to quarter-finals, as Uganda continued their impressive run in the championship.
A former Namwela Secondary School player, Barasa said his charges had executed their game plan well, particularly after overcoming a difficult spell in the second set when DRC's hard serves caused problems in reception.
“It was a good match and we will maintain the momentum going forward,” said the 53-year-old Barasa.
“In the second set, we struggled with the reception because our opponents were serving hard, but we are happy that we managed to contain them. We are happy to have qualified for the last eight and we hope to make it to the semi-finals.”
Barasa added that Uganda would now turn their attention to the challenge with former African champions Cameroon as they seek to extend their campaign into the medal rounds.
For Gitau, the defeat was a painful end to DRC’s title ambitions, but the Kenyan coach insisted there were positives to take from the championship, describing the team as a long-term project focused on growth and improvement.
Gitau said DRC's month-long stay in Kenya before the tournament had played a crucial role in exposing the players to stronger opposition and helping the technical bench assess the squad.
“Coming to Kenya for a month prior to the event was to help the team get exposure. The friendly matches we played helped us gauge our performance and basically prepare for the championship,” said Gitau.
“Indeed, we could not have played the way we have been turning up in the preliminary matches and now in the Round of 16 without that preparation. The team has improved.”
Gitau admitted that his side needed reinforcement, particularly in the setter position, and said he would continue searching for players to strengthen the squad.
“We need to beef up the squad and I’m all out looking for setters in Kenya. I think that’s what we lacked, but I believe we will be better,” he said.
DRC will now shift focus to the classification matches before returning home on September 5, while Barasa’s Uganda prepare for a stern quarter-final test against Cameroon with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
