Cameroon Book Semifinal Spot at Nairobi 2026 After Ruthless Sweep of Uganda

Cameroon’s Lionesses are through to the semifinals of the CAVB Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship.

The lionesses brushed aside Uganda 3 sets to 0 on Tuesday at the Kasarani Arena in Nairobi, winning 25 18, 25 20 and 25 18 in a quarter-final that lasted just over an hour. Cameroon have now gone the entire tournament without dropping a single set.

The numbers back up the dominance. Cameroon out-attacked Uganda 36 points to 31 at the net and doubled them up at the block, 10 to 7. They also punished Ugandan mistakes relentlessly, picking up 26 points off unforced errors compared to just 16 the other way.

Oddly enough, the Ugandan side actually had the match’s top scorer. Cathy finished with 11 points, 8 of them from attack, 2 at the block and 1 off the serve. But Cameroon didn’t need one standout performer. They spread the scoring around instead. Adiana led the way with 8 points, while Baran, Moussol and Djeutchoko each chipped in 7. Baran was especially sharp defensively, putting up 4 blocks on her own. Blamdaï and Nabyong added 6 points apiece.

Captain Bikatal Berthrade Simone couldn’t hide how much the win meant, especially given the manner of it.

“After this match against Uganda, we’re very happy. It’s a source of pride for the Cameroonian people, for us as players, for the staff, for the whole team,” she said afterward.

She wasn’t shy about what comes next either. “We’re ready, as always, with a mind of steel. We promise the Cameroonian people we’ll give everything, just like we’ve done so far.”

Head coach Yende Tiadjoue Lavoisier was pleased with the result but far less impressed with the performance itself. There’s a difference, and he made sure to point it out.

“I always feel joy and satisfaction after winning a match, especially when it’s a decisive one. It gets us through to the next stage of the competition,” he explained.

Then came the honesty. “I’d have to call today’s match mediocre, to be fair. But now we need to put this one aside. The next stage will matter more.”

On the Ugandan bench, coach Soita Protus Barasa didn’t dress up the defeat. “My players made a lot of mistakes,” he admitted plainly once the match had ended.

With the win, Cameroon move into the semifinals still unbeaten and still without having dropped a single set at Nairobi 2026. There’s a bigger picture here too. Every match at this tournament feeds into Cameroon’s push toward the 2027 World Championship and, further down the road, the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

They’ll now face host nation Kenya, who battled past Algeria 3 sets to 1 (21 25, 25 7, 25 15, 25 25) in their own quarter final. The semifinal is set for Thursday, 3 September, at 19:00 at the Kasarani Arena, with the winner advancing to Friday’s final at 16:00.