Egypt begin African Women’s Volleyball Championship with straight-set win

Egypt’s women’s volleyball team began their African Women’s Volleyball Championship campaign with a 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso in their opening Group B match.

Kenya is hosting this year’s tournament, which runs until 5 September. The competition carries added importance, with the African champions earning direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Egypt controlled their first match to complete a convincing straight-set win against Burkina Faso. The result gives them an early advantage in a group that also includes Uganda and Senegal.

Their next fixture is against Senegal on Wednesday. Senegal opened their campaign with a 3-0 defeat by Uganda, leaving Egypt and Uganda as the early winners in Group B.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-finals.

Group stage line-up

The tournament’s groups are made up as follows:

– Group A: Kenya, Mali, Zambia – Group B: Egypt, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Senegal – Group C: Cameroon, Nigeria, Tunisia, Ghana – Group D: Rwanda, Algeria, DR Congo, Burundi

Egypt will be seeking to improve on their performance in the previous edition, when they finished runners-up in 2023.

Their most recent appearance in the final before that came in 2003, when they won their third and most recent African title. The current squad now has the opportunity to challenge for another championship and secure a place at Los Angeles 2028.

The winner of the African Women’s Volleyball Championship will qualify directly for the Olympic tournament, making every group-stage match significant as the teams compete for a place in the knockout rounds.

For Egypt, the opening victory provides a strong start before Wednesday’s meeting with Senegal, while Senegal must respond after their heavy loss to Uganda in their first match.