Rwanda has been confirmed among the 16 national teams that will compete at the 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Championship after the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) announced the final list of participants.
The continental tournament will be held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from September 7 to 21, 2026, bringing together the best men’s volleyball teams on the continent.
Rwanda secured qualification without going through the Zone V qualifiers held in Kampala, Uganda, thanks to its strong position in the African rankings, where it currently sits sixth among men’s national teams.
Kenya and Uganda earned their places through the Zone V qualification tournament, while the other confirmed participants are hosts DR Congo, defending champions Egypt, Algeria, Libya, Cameroon, Tunisia, Chad, Morocco, Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria, Central African Republic and Zimbabwe.
Rwanda head coach Frédéric Guérin has already started preparations for the continental competition after naming a provisional 21-player squad for the first training phase.
The squad is led by captain Dusenge Wicklif of Kepler VC, with Guérin assisted by Musoni Fred and Ntawangundi Dominique. Sibomana Placide will serve as the team’s physical trainer.
Rwanda will be aiming to improve on its performance at the 2023 African Championship in Egypt, where it finished sixth among 15 participating teams. Egypt won the title after defeating Algeria in the final.
Several teams that competed in the 2023 edition, including Senegal, Tanzania, Burundi and Mali, failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament.
The championship will provide Rwanda with another opportunity to compete against Africa’s top volleyball nations as the team continues to build its presence on the continental stage.
