Great scenes as Women’s African Nations Championship starts in Yaounde

The 21st edition of the CAVB Women’s African Nations Championship got underway in Yaounde, Cameroon on Wednesday with 12 teams vying for the continental title.

The competition, which is held every two years, is being held at the Complexe Sportif Mfandena and Palais polyvalent des sports (Paposy) Arena in the capital city of Yaounde.

Organisers staged a brilliant show during the opening ceremony with a fully packed Paposy Arena being treated to an amazing display of Cameroonian culture and traditional songs.

Draped in traditional Cameroon regalia, the dancers entertained the spectators with their impressive display, catching the attention of dignitaries such as Cameroon Minister of Sports and Physical Education Mouelle Kombi Narcisse who was in attendance.

Hosts Cameroon are among the favourites as they chase a fourth consecutive title (Photo credits: FECAVOLLEY)

Legendary Cameroon footballer Roger Milla, who is an advisor to Cameroon President Paul Biya on sports matters, also graced the technical meeting on Tuesday where the 12 participating teams were drawn into two pools of six teams each.

Hosts Cameroon, who are aiming for a fourth consecutive title, headline Pool A which also has Egypt, Mali, Algeria, Nigeria and Burundi. Pool B features Kenya, Morocco, Uganda, Rwanda, Burkina Faso and debutants Lesotho.

Kenya’s Mercy Moim in action against Rwanda in their opening Pool B match at Palais polyvalent des sports (Paposy) Arena in Yaounde, Cameroon (Photo credits: Samuel Gacharira)

The top seeds Kenya and Cameroon got off to a flying start in their opening matches beating Rwanda and Burundi in straight sets on Wednesday.

After the preliminary round, the top four teams from every group will proceed to the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.

This year’s edition is also a pathway to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with teams jostling for crucial ranking points that will enable them to qualify at next year’s Summer Games.

Fans can watch the action on CRTV Sports, Channel 305 on Canal+ or the CAVB Live Streaming page on Facebook.