Defending champions Tunisia were Tuesday night crowned the 2021 CAVB Volleyball Nations champions after a 3-1 victory over Cameroon at the Kigali Arena. The Cameroonian team failed to win the third title for the second consecutive time, as its last peak was in 2001. The Cameroonian team finished the first half in their favor with a score of 16-25 after a good performance, but Tunisia armed itself with its experience in the rest of the matches, obtaining a score of (21-25) and (21-25) and (16-25).
Cameroon's left-attacker Karamosi Elyes was among the top performers in the game, scoring 15 points, while Tunisia's middle-blocker Kadhi Ahmed led defensively with 5 blocks.
The defending champions are the most decorated team in Africa with 11 titles, having won it in 2003, 1999, 1997, 1995, 1987, 1979, 1971, 1967, 2017, and 2019. The Most Valuable Player of the 2021 tournament was Mohamed El Hachdadi from Morocco. Hosts Rwanda finished 6th in the tournament following a four-set defeat to Uganda in the fifth-place playoff. Mfalme Strikers on the other hand secured an impressive opener by defeating Egypt 3-2 but later on had a downfall that saw them finish in 9th place. Courtesy of their reaching the finals, Tunisia and Cameroon have booked a ticket to the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World championship slated from August 26 to September 11, 2022 in Russia.
Rankings:
1. Tunisia
2. Cameroon
3. Egypt
4. Morocco
5. Uganda
6. Rwanda
7. Nigeria
8. DR Congo
9. Kenya
10. Mali
11. Burundi
12. Niger
13. Burkina Faso
14. South Sudan
15. Ethiopia
16. Tanzania