Rwanda will face Gambia in the round of 16 at the African Men’s Volleyball Championship after finishing second in Pool D despite a 3-1 defeat to Cameroon on Thursday.
Cameroon came from behind to beat Rwanda 18-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-19 at the Palais des Sports El Menzah in Tunis, completing an unbeaten run through the group stage.
Rwanda made the stronger start and took the opening set 25-18, but Cameroon responded in the second set before edging the third 25-23. The Cameroonians then pulled away in the fourth set to close out the match.
The result ended Rwanda’s perfect start to the tournament. The team had opened with a 3-0 win over Central African Republic before beating Democratic Republic of Congo 3-1 in its second match.
Rwanda finished second in Pool D behind Cameroon and will now meet Gambia, who placed third in Pool B. The round-of-16 match is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, at 11 a.m. local time in Tunis.
The knockout stage follows a rest day on Friday, with the tournament moving into elimination matches over the weekend. The quarter-finals are scheduled for Sept. 21, followed by the semi-finals on Sept. 23 and the final on Sept. 25.
