Cameroon’s Under-20 men’s volleyball team have gotten off to a flying start at the CAVB African Nations Championship in Egypt, dispatching Kenya 3-1 in their opening pool match at the Hassan Mostafa gymnasium.
Captain Joseph Ganna led from the front as the Young Lions demonstrated their continental ambitions with a commanding performance that saw them take the match 25-19, 27-29, 25-21, 25-17 against a stubborn Kenyan side.
Head coach Robert Samou and his technical staff will be pleased with how their boys adapted their game plan in the face of opposition, bouncing back impressively after dropping the second set to seal a statement victory.
“The opponent wasn’t an easy team to play against. They were tough, but we tried to raise the bar higher and we got the result,” reflected setter Johan Mbira after the match.
Captain Ganna was equally satisfied with his side’s opening game: “We wanted to start this competition in style and we went out there and gave our best. We needed to get our bearings and make some small adjustments, and I think we’ve started the competition well.”
The result puts Cameroon in pole position in their pool, though Ganna knows there’s plenty of work still to be done. “We’re going to give our absolute best in this competition for the challenges that await us,” he added.
The team now have Sunday to rest, regroup and address any tactical tweaks before returning to action on Monday at 1pm local time (11am in Yaoundé) when they face Rwanda in their second pool fixture.
Before taking to the court, the squad attended a coordination meeting in Cairo with delegation head and Ministry of Sports representative Colinette Biamou Ossouko, aimed at rallying the troops and reaffirming institutional support for the young talent.
Elsewhere in Pool B, Morocco edged past Rwanda in a five-set thriller 3-2 (20-25, 25-17, 25-23, 21-25, 15-11), while hosts Egypt made light work of Zimbabwe with a comprehensive 3-0 victory (25-13, 25-19, 25-12) in Pool A.
Cameroon will complete their pool campaign against Morocco, with the Young Lions clearly fancying their chances of reaching the business end of the tournament.
