The 47th African Men’s Volleyball Champions League drew to a close in Kigali on Saturday, and while the trophy made its way to Egypt once again, Cameroon had plenty of reasons to leave Rwanda with its head held high.
Port Autonome de Douala saved the best for last. In their final match of the tournament, Donald Beyegue’s side faced KPC of Kenya in the play-off for fifth place and produced a thoroughly convincing performance, winning 3-0 with sets of 25-21, 25-20 and 25-21. It was a fitting end to a campaign that had already turned heads during the group stage, where PAD won all five of their matches. Fifth place in Africa is no small achievement for a club from Douala, and the manner in which they secured it, composed, purposeful and never flustered, spoke well of the work Beyegue has done with this group.
Litto Team and Cameroon Sports, meanwhile, met each other in their respective final classification matches on Friday. It was Litto Team who came out on top, winning 3-1 with sets of 22-25, 25-16, 25-16 and 25-15, to finish 17th overall. Cameroon Sports ended the competition in 18th place from a field of 24 clubs. Neither result is what either club would have dreamt of when they set out for Kigali, but both sides return home with continental experience that cannot be taught in a training hall.
Cameroon’s presence in the final extended beyond the playing court, which is worth noting. The tournament’s technical committee appointed two Cameroonian officials to referee the showpiece match between Al Ahly of Egypt and Police VC of Rwanda. Boris Mbang served as the second referee, while André Boumteke took charge of the video challenge system. It was a quiet but meaningful mark of the country’s growing reputation within African volleyball’s officiating structures.
The final itself produced the result that most had anticipated. Al Ahly claimed the title, defeating Police VC of Rwanda to lift their latest continental crown. Rwanda Energy Group, for their part, secured third place with a 3-1 victory over Egypt’s Petrojet, giving the host nation a podium finish and a tournament to remember.
