As the 2026 Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) African Women’s Championship enters the penultimate stage at the Kasarani Indoor Arena today, the continent's premier volleyball powerhouses have narrowed the field down to four.
With tickets to global showpieces and the most coveted prize in African volleyball hanging in the balance, the stage set for a day of intense action.
At the heart of the storm lies a rivalry written in sweat and years of historic heartbreaks as defending champions Malkia Strikers collide with familiar foes Cameroon. Over the year’s matches pitting Kenyans and Cameroonians have transformed from ordinary sporting competitions to a battle for continental dominance.
Going into today’s duel, stakes could not be possibly higher for Malkia Strikers who have everything to fight for as they look to exert their dominance over the Central Africans and remain in the race to defend their title. The Kenyan girls go into the clash anchored by a legacy of excellence that has seen them rule the continent 10 times.
Roared on by passionate home crowds, the African queens who are on an ambitious quest for an 11th crown will go all out in hunt for a final spot. However, they must be at their best to overcome the Lionesses who are standing directly in their way.
The Cameroonians will be out to avenge the 2023 semis defeat that stripped off their crown on their home turf after three years of uninterrupted reign.
After dethroning Kenya in 2017 when they hosted the championship in Yaoundé, the Lionesses went on to successfully defend the title in 2019 and 2021 but Malkia Strikers ended their rule in 2023 when they beat them 3-1 (25-27, 25-14, 25-11, 25-18) in the semi-finals.
The Kenyans would go on to recapture the continental gong after defeating Egypt in the final. Enroute to the semis Kenya beat Algeria 3-1 (21-25, 25-7, 25-15, 25-18) whereas Cameroon saw off Uganda 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-18) in the quarter-finals.
On the other side of the bracket an equally explosive encounter awaits as the North meets the East for a second time in a row. Former champions Egypt will lock horns with Rwanda in a high-stakes repeat of the 2023 last four match.
The North African giants are eager to wrestle the trophy back to North Africa but must first overcome the Rwandese hurdle.
While the Pharaohs go into the match armed with rich championship pedigree, the East Africans have proved their rapid growth and are keen to show the continent that they have shaken off the underdogs tag.
Rwanda’s steady calculated rise to the top of African volleyball has been one of the tournament’s defining stories as they remain unbeaten heading into the last four.
The Rwandese have underlined their developing game by fearless play, incredible court chemistry and back-to-back semi-final appearances. They will be looking to defeat the Egyptians who locked them out of the 2023 final with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-10) win.
Egypt sent packing fellow North Africans Tunisia 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-9) while Rwanda beat Ghana 3-1 (25-17, 24-26, 25-19, 25-18) to book the semis date.
