2026 CAVB Women’s African Nations Championship: Egypt dethrone Kenya and book historic ticket to Los Angeles!

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There was something almost poetic about Egypt’s return to the top of African women’s volleyball. Twenty-three years after their previous continental triumph — also achieved in Nairobi — the Pharaohs returned to the Kenyan capital, faced the same opponent in the final and once again left the court as African champions.

This time, however, the prize was even greater.

Egypt defeated hosts and defending champions Kenya 3-0 (25:22, 25:15, 25:15) at the Kasarani Indoor Arena to win the 2026 CAVB Women’s African Nations Championship and, with it, Africa’s direct quota for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
It was a commanding performance against a team that had arrived in the final with the ambition of defending its crown in front of a home crowd.
Kenya, the record-holder with ten African titles, had hoped to turn Nairobi into another chapter of its long continental reign.
Instead, Egypt produced one of the most dominant campaigns in the history of the competition and ended the tournament without dropping a single set.
The final was competitive only in its opening stages.
Egypt kept its composure when the first set entered its decisive phase, closing it 25-22. From there, the balance of power shifted decisively.
The Egyptians controlled the second set 25-15 and never allowed Kenya to find a way back into the match, repeating the same score in the third to complete the sweep.

The result also carried a powerful sense of déjà vu.
Egypt had last won the African title in 2003, when the championship was also staged in Nairobi and the final was also against Kenya. That victory had been the third continental crown in Egyptian history. After more than two decades of waiting, the fourth finally arrived — once again in Kenya.
But the significance of the triumph goes far beyond the return of a familiar name to the continental throne. By winning the championship, Egypt secured its place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, marking the first Olympic qualification in the history of the Egyptian women’s indoor volleyball team.
The road to that historic moment was virtually flawless.
Egypt won all seven of its matches in Nairobi and finished with an extraordinary 21-0 set record. In the group stage, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Uganda were all swept.
The knockout phase followed the same pattern: Burundi were beaten 3-0 in the round of 16, Tunisia 3-0 in the quarter-finals, and Rwanda 3-0 in the semi-finals.
Even the semi-final against Rwanda, which proved the closest encounter of the entire tournament, ended without Egypt losing a set. The Egyptians survived a dramatic third set 32-30 after winning the first two 25-5 and 25-17.

Kenya had also reached the final unbeaten. The hosts swept Zambia and Mali in the group stage, defeated Nigeria 3-0 in the round of 16 and overcame Algeria 3-1 in the quarter-finals after losing their only set of the tournament. They then defeated Cameroon 3-0 in the semi-finals to set up a repeat of the 2023 final.
There was to be no repeat of the result from Yaoundé two years earlier, when Kenya defeated Egypt 3-0 to retain the continental crown.
This time, the script belonged entirely to Egypt.
Kenya nevertheless leave Nairobi with silver and a place at the 2027 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup, having secured one of Africa’s three berths by reaching the final. Egypt had already guaranteed its own World Cup qualification with the same achievement.

Cameroon claimed the final World Cup ticket after taking bronze, defeating Rwanda 3-0 (25:17, 25:16, 25:19) in the third-place match. Rwanda finished fourth, while Tunisia and Algeria completed the top six.

For Egypt, however, the focus was always on a much bigger destination.
After 23 years, the Pharaohs are African champions again.
They have reclaimed a title that had long seemed to belong to Kenya, and they have done it with a perfect record, without surrendering a single set.
And for the first time, when the Olympic volleyball tournament begins in Los Angeles in 2028, Egypt will be there.