Wafalme Stars to gun for African Championships podium finish in Tunisia

Kenya’s men’s volleyball team, Wafalme Stars, will be chasing a podium finish at the 2026 CAVB Men’s African Nations Volleyball Championship, which will be held in Tunis, Tunisia, from September 13 to 26.

The Kenyan side is hoping to finish among the top three teams in the continental tournament, a result that would secure the country a place at next year’s FIVB Men’s World Championship in Poland.

The World Championship will be staged across five cities — Gdańsk, Katowice, Łódź, Olsztyn and Kraków—with Wafalme Stars eager to earn a place among Africa’s representatives.

Speaking after the team’s evening training session at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi on Sunday, assistant coach Elisha Aliwa said the squad was making the most of its preparations ahead of the continental competition.

Aliwa, who also coaches the Kenya Defence Forces men’s volleyball team, said the players were in high spirits and had shown encouraging commitment during training.

“If we can finish in the top three, that would be something. The players are in high spirits, and we are taking advantage of that,” Aliwa said.

He added that the technical bench had structured the training program to improve the players’ ball-handling skills before introducing match-related situations during the afternoon sessions.

“Basically, our training in the morning sessions will be all about ball handling before we engage in game-like situations in the afternoon,” he said.

Aliwa also expressed satisfaction with the turnout and commitment of the players, describing the training camp as a “full house."

The preparations come as Wafalme Stars seek to improve Kenya’s standing in men’s volleyball on the African continent. A top-three finish in Tunisia would not only deliver continental recognition but also provide the team with an opportunity to compete against the world’s best sides at the global championship.

The technical bench will now focus on fine-tuning the squad’s tactical and physical preparations before travelling to Tunisia.

The African Nations Championship will bring together some of the continent’s leading volleyball nations, including Tunisia (hosts), Algeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic (CAR), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR), Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe, providing Kenya with a stern test as they pursue qualification for the 2027 World Championship.