Malkia Strikers: Payment Dispute Proves Costly as Kenya Miss Direct LA 2028 Olympics Ticket After Loss to Egypt

Malkia Strikers missed a chance to seal a direct ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics following a 3-0 loss to Egypt in the final of the 2026 Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship on Friday.

The team’s preparations for the final had been rocked by a dispute over unpaid allowances, casting a shadow over their successful tournament run.

The team staged a silent protest just hours before the final of the tournament which Kenya has been hosting. The tournament, held from August 23 to September 4 at Kasarani Indoor Arena, served as a qualifier for both the 2028 Olympic Games and the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Cup.

On Thursday evening, the Malkia Strikers secured their place in the final with a decisive 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-20, 25-20) over Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses. The win sparked jubilant celebrations, with Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi joining the team on court.

However, behind the celebrations, the players' morale had plummeted. The government allegedly owed the players and coaches a total of Sh8.9 million in allowances, which have been pending since they began their residential training camp on July 26, 2026.

Multiple sources within the team's camp confirmed to Nation Sport on Friday that the players were contemplating boycotting the final match against Egypt.

It is not certain if the players were paid before they took to the court but the disruption proved costly as in the final, Kenya, who had been flawless, failed to win a single set. Egypt won the first set 25-22 before widening the margin of victory in the second and third, where they recorded identical wins of 25-15 and 25-15.

By reaching the final, the team, coached by Geoffrey Omondi, has already secured a spot in the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Cup, as the top three teams from the championship automatically qualify. This marks the sixth time the Malkia Strikers have qualified for the global event.

However, for the Olympics, only the champions were guaranteed an automatic ticket, which will now go to Egypt.

For Kenya, it is a crushing end to a tournament that had promised so much and their chances of qualifying for a fifth Olympic Games after 2000, 2004, 2020 and 2024 are now in jeopardy.

Malkia Strikers still have another route to the Olympics, but it is a long and difficult one as they would need to qualify via a repechage, bringing together countries from various continents.