Uganda’s men signed off the CAVB Zone V African Nations Championship Qualifiers with a convincing victory over Tanzania, but it was not enough to secure a place at the continental championship.
The Volleyball Cranes swept past their regional rivals 25-18, 25-15, 25-19 in Kampala on Saturday to complete the tournament with three wins from four matches. However, Kenya claimed the men’s division’s only qualification slot, leaving Uganda to finish runners-up.
It was a cruel end to an otherwise impressive campaign for the hosts who started strongly against Tanzania in a closely contested opening set before pulling away midway through to open a 14-8 lead. The hosts maintained control and comfortably took the set 25-18.
The second set was even more one-sided. A dominant serving display put Tanzania under pressure from the start as Uganda raced into a 12-5 advantage. Tanzania struggled with errors in attack and reception, allowing the Volleyball Cranes to cruise to a 25-15 win.
With confidence high, Uganda controlled the third set and sealed the match 25-19 to complete a straight-sets victory.
Despite the strong finish, the result could not change the final standings. Kenya secured qualification for the 2026 African Nations Championship in DR Congo, while Uganda had to settle for second place.
There was better news for the hosts in the women’s division, where Uganda secured the region’s qualification spot ahead of Burundi and South Sudan.
Several of the zone’s strongest teams did not take part in the Kampala qualifiers after earning automatic qualification through their continental rankings. Egypt and Rwanda qualified automatically in both the men’s and women’s categories, while Kenya’s women had already booked their place as a top-ranked side.
Men’s Division
- Qualified for the 2026 African Nations Championship (DR Congo): Kenya
- Runners-up: Uganda
- Other Participating Teams: South Sudan, Burundi, and Tanzania.
Women’s Division
- Qualified for the 2026 African Nations Championship (Kenya): Uganda
- Runners-up: Burundi
- Other Participating Team: South Sudan
