Alas Pilipinas and Egypt collide in Pool A of the FIVB Men’s World Championship Tuesday, Sept. 16, with the FIilipinos coming off a loss.
Egypt coach Marco Bonitta is wary of Alas Pilipinas ahead of their FIVB Men’s World Championship match on Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Bonitta has just steered his squad to a 25-17, 16-25, 25-23, 25-20 stunner over Iran Sunday, Sept. 14, but is careful not to underestimate the Filipinos given the flashes of brilliance they showed despite their setback in their previous match.
Alas fell to Tunisia, 25-13, 25-17, 25-23, but not without showing a fight in the third set two days ago.
“After tomorrow will be a very, very difficult match. Because the Philippines was a little bit nervous in the first and second sets, but they played very good from the third set,” Bonitta said.
After a jittery first two sets, the Filipinos gave Tunisia some trouble in the back-and-forth third frame.
But the 11-time African champion flexed its championship composure in the homestretch to come away with the sweep.
Egypt coach Marco Bonitta | Photo: Volleyball World
Bonitta expects the same resilience from Alas come Tuesday.
“I’m sure that the level of the Philippine team is what they showed us in the third set, so it will be a very tough match after tomorrow,” Bonitta said.
But for now, the Pharaohs will recover after what his charge, Elhossiny Eissa, described as a "very tough game" throughout against the Iranians.
“Expectation is to prepare nothing special. We have to prepare, recover our energies. It’s very important,” Bonitta said.
“We have today and tomorrow, and expectation is to play with the same focus.”
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.