Kenya’s Malkia Strikers launched their 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship title defence in emphatic fashion, sweeping Zambia 3-0 at the Kasarani Indoor Arena on Tuesday night.
Playing in front of a home crowd, the defending champions controlled the contest from the opening set, winning 25-14 before stepping up their dominance in the second set to claim it 25-9.
Kenya completed the straight-sets victory with a 25-11 win in the third set, securing an ideal start to their campaign and sending an early warning to their continental rivals. The result has been independently reported by multiple Kenyan sports outlets.
The victory puts Kenya in a strong position in Pool A ahead of their final group match against Mali. The Malkia Strikers had already secured a place in the quarter-finals, while a win over Mali would confirm top spot in the pool and give them the prime seeding heading into the knockout phase.
Kenya entered the championship as the defending African champions and are pursuing a record-extending 11th continental title. The team won the previous edition in 2023 after defeating Egypt 3-0 in the final in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
The 2026 championship carries significance beyond continental supremacy. The African champion will earn the continent’s direct qualification place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, while the top three finishers will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship.
The tournament is being staged in Nairobi, with matches taking place at the Kasarani Indoor Arena and Ulinzi Sports Complex. Although earlier tournament previews referred to a 16-team field, the latest match-day reports confirm that 15 teams are competing, following Morocco’s absence from the championship.
Kenya’s opening-day victory was one of several decisive results across the competition. Uganda defeated Senegal 3-0, Egypt swept Burkina Faso 3-0, while Cameroon also recorded a straight-sets victory over Ghana.
At Ulinzi Sports Complex, the Democratic Republic of Congo beat Burundi 3-0 and Rwanda defeated Algeria in straight sets. Tunisia produced the only four-set win of the day, recovering from losing the opening set to beat Nigeria 3-1.
