• VOLLEYBALL

• Frank Rotich 1 month ago

Rwanda reach African Volleyball Championship quarter-finals

Rwanda continued their impressive run at the 2026 CAVB Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, cruising past Burkina Faso in straight sets to book a place in the quarter-finals.

The Rwandese produced another commanding display on Sunday, defeating Burkina Faso 3–0 (25–19, 25–16, 25–8) in the Round of 16. The victory keeps Rwanda’s perfect record intact, having won every match they have played in the tournament so far. 

Rwanda controlled the opening set 25–19 before extending their advantage with a 25–16 victory in the second. Burkina Faso struggled to respond in the third set as Rwanda completely took charge, closing it out 25–8.

The result underlines Rwanda’s status as one of the teams to watch in Nairobi. They began their campaign with a 3–0 victory over Algeria before defeating the Democratic Republic of Congo by another 3–0 scoreline in Group D. 

Rwanda have steadily established themselves among Africa’s competitive volleyball nations. The women’s national team featured at the African Championship in 2001, 2007 and 2021, while their most recent major breakthrough came at the 2023 African Nations Championship in Yaoundé, where they finished fourth.

In 2023, Rwanda reached the semi-finals after defeating Algeria 3–2 in the quarter-finals before losing 3–0 to Egypt. They then fell 3–1 to Cameroon in the bronze-medal match. 

That fourth-place finish remains an important milestone and provides the foundation for what Rwanda are now attempting to achieve in Nairobi.

Rwanda now advance to the quarter-finals on Tuesday, September 1. According to the tournament bracket, their quarter-final will be against Zambia or Ghana. The match is scheduled for 7am on September 1.

The stakes in Nairobi are also significant beyond the continental title. The 2026 champions will earn Africa’s direct qualification place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as well as the 2027 FIVB World Championships.