Rwanda on Saturday, September 9, face a tough test against Algeria in the quarter-finals of the 2023 Men’s African Nations volleyball championship which is underway in Cairo, Egypt.
Rwanda qualified for the quarterfinals after beating East African neighbors Tanzania 3-1 in the round of 16 playoff on Thursday.
The Rwandan team fought aggressively in the last two sets despite some early upset from Tanzania in the first set, when tow teams were going toe-to-toe point as they were 21-21 level before Rwanda held in to win the second 25-22.
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Tanzania kept their pace throughout the match and piled pressure through service and tight blocks to win second set 29-27 and tie the game level on 1-1 set.
But De Tarso’s men continued to dominate the game produced outstanding performance in the last and decisive two sets which they won 25-21 and 25-12 respectively.
"I am really very, very excited for this victory against Tanzania which cements our place in the quarter finals. We have tough game against Algeria which we should take care of as well,” Rwanda coach Paulo De Tarso said victory against Tanzania.
It was Rwanda’s third victory in the tournament after recording two wins in the three matches in the group stages.
The country now looks to pose another major upset against former champions Algeria who advance to the last eight after beating Ghana in three straight sets 25-22, 25-21 and 25-20.
"We are now facing the better team, and ranked among the top teams in Africa, so it is a big match. We have no other choice but to take them on and look for better results," he added
"Winning is a process and it’s important to play such matches, last time we played a good match with them, who knows we might win if not, we will use the match to get experience."
Should they beat Algeria, Rwanda could potentially face winner between host Egypt and Kenya who play in another quarterfinal duel.
The Men's African Nations Volleyball Championship also serves as the 2024 Olympic qualifiers.
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During the 2021 edition which was held in Kigali, Rwanda was eliminated in the quarterfinals and finished in sixth place after losing to neighbors Uganda.