Rwanda is hosting one of African volleyball’s most prestigious annual gatherings, and Cameroon has arrived with genuine ambition.
The 47th edition of the African Men’s Senior Volleyball Champions League officially got underway in Kigali on 20 April, with delegations trickling in from across the continent before the technical meeting that set the tone for what promises to be a fiercely contested fortnight. The competition runs through to 3 May, giving 24 clubs from nearly 20 nations the chance to make their mark on the African stage.
Cameroon is represented by three clubs this year: Litto Team Volleyball, Cameroon Sports Volleyball, and Port Autonome de Douala. The latter had already touched down in Rwanda ahead of schedule, while Litto Team and Cameroon Sports completed the country’s full contingent on Monday.
The technical meeting held Tuesday in Kigali drew the curtain back on the group stage draw, and the Cameroonian sides have been handed anything but straightforward paths to the knockout rounds.
Technical meeting ongoing
Litto Team find themselves in Pool A, arguably one of the more demanding groups, alongside hosts’ representatives Armee Patriotique Rwandaise Volleyball Club, Egyptian powerhouse Petrojet Sporting Club, National Customs Services of Nigeria, Black Rhinos, and Uganda’s Nemostars. It is the kind of group that rewards consistency and punishes any lapse in concentration.
Cameroon Sports Volleyball have been placed in Pool B, where they will come up against African giants Al Ahly of Egypt, Kenyan side Equity, Ivory Coast’s AS Injis, Rwanda’s Kepler, and Uganda’s Sport-S. Al Ahly alone represent a formidable test for any side on the continent.
Port Autonome de Douala, meanwhile, are in Pool D alongside General Service Unit of Kenya, Cape Verde’s Atletico Clube do Mindelo, Burundi’s Rukinzo, Ghana’s Kalibi Sporting Club, and Rwanda Energy Group.
For Cameroon, having three clubs competing simultaneously at this level is no small achievement. The country has long been a credible force in African volleyball, and the hope among supporters and officials alike is that at least one of the three sides can go deep into the competition.
Kigali, for its part, is shaping up to be a worthy host. The Rwandan capital has steadily built a reputation for organising continental sporting events with efficiency and warmth, and the early days of the tournament have done little to challenge that impression.
The group stage matches will determine which clubs advance, and with sides from Egypt, Kenya, and Uganda historically among the most competitive on the continent, Cameroon’s three representatives will need to be at their sharpest from the very first whistle.
Full group pairings below:
POOL A
Armee Patriotique Rwandaise Volleyball Club – Rwanda
Litto Team Volleyball – Cameroon
National Customs Services – Nigeria
Black Rhinos Volleyball Club
Nemostars – Uganda
Petrojet Sporting Club -Egypt
POOL B
Al Ahly – Egypt
Cameroon Sports Volleyball – Cameroon
Kepler – Rwanda
Sport-S – Uganda
AS Injis – Ivory Coast
Equity – Kenya
POOL C
Faith Union Sports
Kenya Ports Authority – Kenya
Wolaitta Dicha – Ethiopia
Prisons Service – Tanzania
Police – Rwanda
Ghana Army – Ghana
POOL D
General Service Unit – Kenya
Port Autonome De Douala – Cameroon
Atletico Clube Do Mindelo – Cape Verde
Rukinzo – Burundi
Kalibi Sporting Club – Ghana
Rwanda Energy Group – Rwanda
