Rwanda’s men’s national volleyball team will face Gambia in the Round of 16 of the 2026 African Volleyball Championship after finishing second in Group D.
Rwanda concluded the group stage on Thursday, September 17, with a 3-1 defeat to Cameroon in Tunis, Tunisia. The result saw Cameroon finish top of Group D and secure a direct place in the quarter-finals, while Rwanda advanced to the knockout stage.
Rwanda started strongly against Cameroon, winning the opening set 25-18. However, Cameroon responded by taking the next three sets 25-21, 25-23 and 25-19 to claim the victory.
Cameroon finished top of Group D with nine points, followed by Rwanda on six. The Democratic Republic of Congo collected three points, while the Central African Republic finished fourth without a point.
With 13 teams taking part in this year’s championship, the tournament format means the group winners of Groups A, C and D advance directly to the quarter-finals. The remaining 10 teams must compete in the Round of 16 for the five remaining quarter-final places.
Tunisia, Nigeria and Cameroon secured the three direct quarter-final spots after topping their respective groups.
Rwanda will meet Gambia, who finished third in Group B, on Saturday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m. Kigali time. The winner will advance to the quarter-finals.
Other Round of 16 fixtures include Morocco against the Central African Republic, Ghana against Chad, Egypt against a Central African Republic side, and Algeria against Kenya.
Friday, September 18, has been set aside as a rest day for all participating teams before the knockout matches begin.
