Rwanda, Uganda : Surprises Abound

The 21st edition of the Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship has ended but not without surprises. During the competition some teams especially those considered new comers were the surprise packages. The Rwandan team was a major attraction given their perfomance. The girls of Coach Paulo De Tasrso finished on the fourth spot out of 12 teams. Many did not believe Rwanda would put up such a performance given that they are still new and inexperienced.  
A fourth place finish remains the best performance that Rwanda has ever achieved in the women’s category. At the first day of the competition, Rwanda women lost their opening game to the Malakia Strikers of Kenya at Yaounde Multipurpose Sports Complex. That did not discourage the Rwandans as they went ahead and defeated Burkina Faso, Lesotho and Uganda. The last time Rwanda participated in the African Cup of Nations in women’s volleyball was in 2021 when the country hosted the tournament in Kigali.
The Lady Cranes of Uganda were equally another surprise package. The Lady Cranes only managed to reach the quarterfinals in this year’s edition after finishing fourth in a six-team group, guaranteeing a place...