Today

Algeria                  vs         Ghana                      10am

Rwanda                 vs         Cape Verde                12pm

Seychelles             vs        Cameroon                 2pm

Rwanda will face Cape Verde today in a must-win match, but Algeria must first beat Ghana for Paul Bitok’s team to reach semi-finals of the men’s volleyball at the ongoing All Africa Games in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo.

While teams in Pool A finished group stages on Friday with Egypt and hosts Congo booking slots to the round of four, Pool A matches wind-up today with Algeria playing hopefuls Ghana and Seychelles face defending champions Cameroon.

"We need to stay calm and focus on our game; there is no room for complacency. What will happen between Algeria and Ghana matters but doesn’t depend on us, our job is to win against Cape Verde,” Bitok told Saturday Sport from Brazzaville yesterday.

Former Kenya international Bitok clarified that for his side to reach semis (supposing Rwanda beat Cape Verde), Algeria should beat Ghana in straight sets (3-0) or 3-1 but contrary, should the later win or manage to get two sets, Rwanda will be out regardless of the outcome against Cape Verde.

Algeria top the table with 11 points, two ahead of Ghana, Rwanda stand third with 7, holders Cameroon sit 4th with 6 points while Cape Verde (2 points) and Seychelles with a single point, rank fifth and sixth in that order.

Beach volleyball teams roll on

Meanwhile, Rwanda’s beach volleyball teams (men and women) started the medal chase on a positive with the female duo of Denise Mutatsimpundu and Charlotte Nzayisenga convincingly winning their first two matches in straight sets (2-0) against Niger and Zimbabwe on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.

Their male counterparts, Olivier Ntagengwa and Flavien Ndamuku, won the first encounter against Senegal 22-20, 21-12 on Wednesday but lost to powerhouse South Africa in two sets (21-17, 21-19) in the second before overwhelming Zimbabwe in straight sets to register a second win on Thursday.