Still Perfect: Port Autonome de Douala Marches Into the Quarterfinals With Another Commanding Straight-Sets Win

Port Autonome de Douala, Cameroon’s flagship club side, are imposing itself as one of Africa’s best volleyball club. Their 3-0 victory over Kenya’s Equity Bank Volleyball Club on Wednesday afternoon in Kigali confirmed their place in the quarterfinals and kept their remarkable unbeaten record fully intact at the 47th CAVB Men’s Club Championship.

The set scores, 25-7, 25-17 and 25-23, told most of the story. There was no showboating, no unnecessary risk-taking, just purposeful, well-organised volleyball from a team that clearly knows exactly what it is doing.

Port Autonome never truly looked like a team in difficulty. When the moment came to close things out, they did so without fuss.

It has been that kind of competition for the Douala outfit. Unbeaten from the first day of play through to the last sixteen, they carry a certain authority on court.

Wednesday also had results elsewhere for Cameroon’s other two representatives, who smiled with victories. Litto Team Volleyball, competing in the classification matches for places 17 to 24 following their exit from the main draw, produced a solid 3-0 win against AS INJS, taking the sets 25-19, 25-17 and 25-20.

Cameroon Sports Volleyball cruised through Rukinzo (3-0), the Rwandan-based Burundian side, winning 25-19, 25-16 and 25-23. It is a result that will galvanise the Cameroonians, as these classification rounds serve a purpose, and there is still a match to play.

The story that matters most heading into the quarterfinal stage, however, is Port Autonome’s. A continent’s worth of competition remains, and they have negotiated every part of it so far without dropping a game. Whether that run continues is the question Kigali will begin answering very shortly.