Twenty-three years after their last title, Egypt are once again Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship winners. And the statistics from the final also tell the story of how the Egyptians built their victory: a huge advantage in blocking and an ability to capitalize on the numerous Kenyan errors.
On Friday at the Kasarani Arena in Nairobi, Egypt dominated Kenya 3 sets to 0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-15) in the final of the 2026 Women’s African Nations Championship. The match lasted 1 hour and 12 minutes , with sets of 28, 21 and 23 minutes.
This victory allows Egypt to clinch its fourth continental title , after those of 1976, 1989 and 2003. Above all, this triumph gives it the direct African ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games .
The first set was for resistance, the next two for knockout
In a Kasarani Arena packed with Malkia Strikers fans, Egypt first had to contain Kenyan pressure.
The first set, lasting 28 minutes, was the most closely contested. Kenya stayed within striking distance, but Egypt managed the final exchanges better to win 25-22 .
The complexion of the match then changed radically.
Stronger and, above all, cleaner in their play, the Egyptians widened the gap in the second set, winning it 25-15 . Kenya, until then almost untouchable in the competition, could not find an answer.
The third set ended with the same score: 25-15 . The match was over in 1 hour and 12 minutes.
The Egyptian counter-attack turns the tide of the final
Surprisingly, Kenya finished the game with 35 points on offense compared to Egypt’s 34. But this slight lead masks the true difference between the two teams.
Egypt scored 11 runs on the block , compared to just one for Kenya . A considerable difference of ten points in a game played over three sets.
The Kenyans also committed many more offensive fouls: 20 fouls in attack compared to only 6 for Egypt .
In serving, the African champions again took the advantage with 4 aces to 2 .
But the most significant statistic for Kenya is probably the number of errors they’ve given their opponents. Egypt benefited from 26 points due to opponent fouls, compared to just 14 for Kenya.
In total, the scoreboard reflects this difference in control: 75 points to 52 .
Meawad, top scorer in the final
On an individual level, Meawad was the most prolific player in the match. The Egyptian number 4 finished with 14 points , including 11 in attack, 2 in block and 1 in serve .
Her teammate Meeto followed with 12 points , including 11 attacks and one block.
On the Kenyan side, Adhiambo was the most effective with 11 points : 8 on attack, 1 on block, and 2 on serve. Masai finished with 10 points, all scored on attack.
The collective Egyptian performance is also reflected in the distribution of points. Mr. Ghazal contributed 8 points, including two aces, while Yasso scored 7 points, notably with 3 blocks .
This diversity of solutions complicated Kenya’s task, as they were unable to concentrate their defence on a single attacker.
Kenya falls at the worst possible time
The defeat is brutal for the Malkia Strikers, given how solid their run had been before this final.
Kenya had successively beaten Zambia 3-0, Mali 3-0, Nigeria 3-0, Algeria 3-1 in the quarter-finals and then Cameroon 3-0 in the semi-finals.
The Kenyans therefore entered the final with five wins in five matches and only one set lost.
But against Egypt, the defending champions paid for their mistakes and their inability to impose their power at the net.
An invincible Egypt until the title
The Egyptian leg was even more impressive.
Before the final, Egypt had successively beaten Burkina Faso, Senegal, Uganda, Burundi, Tunisia and Rwanda, always with a score of 3-0 .
Kenya was also unable to take a set from them.
Egypt therefore finishes Nairobi 2026 with seven wins in seven matches and 21 sets won without losing a single one .
The symbolism is all the more powerful given that in 2023, Kenya dominated Egypt 3-0 in the final of the African Championship. Three years later, the Egyptians returned the exact same scoreline to their rivals, this time on Kenyan soil.
Twenty-three years later, Egypt regains its crown
Egypt had waited since 2003 to return to the continental summit.
After her titles in 1976, 1989 and 2003 , she adds a fourth African crown to her record.
But Nairobi offers him even more. With this title, Egypt secured direct continental qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. They had also guaranteed their qualification for the FIVB Women’s World Cup 2027 by reaching the final.
Kenya will also be at the world championships in 2027, while Cameroon, who beat Rwanda 3-0 in the bronze medal match, completes the trio of African qualifiers.
Team statistics from the final
Top scorers and individual statistics
The individual table includes the players and statistics visible on the official sheet provided.
The starting six
KENYA
- #6 Belinda
- #7 Emma
- #10 Jepkorir
- #11 Masai
- #24 Tata
- #2 Adhiambo
EGYPT
- #10 Doaa
- #4 Meawad
- #22 Dalia
- #13 Yasso
- #20 Meeto
- #14 Mr. Ghazal
Final score: Kenya 0-3 Egypt — 22-25, 15-25, 15-25 — 1h12.
SOURCE: CAVB
