Egypt has officially been crowned the 2025 African Under-16 Boys and Girls champions. The nation`s teams showcased dominant performances at the continental competitions, held simultaneously in Tunis, Tunisia, from August 22 to 31, successfully securing both gold medals with an impeccable unbeaten record.
Boys` Competition Highlights
The boys` tournament included four nations: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. In the preliminary round, contested as a single league, Egypt emerged victorious, topping the standings with 8 points and an unblemished 3-0 win-loss record. Algeria secured second place with 6 points (2-1 win-loss), followed by Tunisia in third with 4 points (1-2). Morocco ended up at the bottom of the table, failing to register any points after three consecutive losses.
During the semifinals, Egypt decisively beat Morocco in straight sets (25-17, 25-20, 25-18). In a more closely contested match, Tunisia narrowly overcame Algeria with a 3-2 victory (14-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-11).
The final saw Egypt convincingly defeat the host nation, Tunisia, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-19), to claim the gold medal. In the battle for third place, Algeria edged out Morocco in a thrilling 3-2 encounter (25-13, 22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 15-10), securing the bronze.
Egypt`s dominance extended to the Boys` Dream Team, featuring five of their players. Outside hitter Abdelaziz Mohamed was recognized as the Most Valuable Player, leading the contingent which also included Hussein Selem (Best Opposite), Mostafa Omar (Best Middle Blocker), Tageldin Aly (Best Setter), and Hamad Ziad (Best Libero). Allal Mohamed Iyad from Algeria received the award for Best Middle Blocker, and Tunisia`s Jenhani Mahdi completed the Dream Team as Best Outside Hitter.
Girls` Competition Highlights
The girls` competition was equally dominated by Egypt, who secured their gold medal with a flawless six-match winning streak. Five teams took part in the girls` event: Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Madagascar.
Similar to the boys` event, the girls` preliminary round adopted a single league format. Egypt finished at the top, earning 12 points with an impeccable 4-0 win-loss record. Tunisia came in second with 9 points (3-1), followed by Algeria in third with 6 points (2-2). Morocco placed fourth with 2 points (1-3), while Madagascar finished last with 1 point, having lost all four of their matches.
In the semifinals, Egypt easily dispatched Morocco in straight sets (25-11, 25-11, 25-06). Tunisia progressed to the final by defeating Algeria 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23).
Egypt repeated their preliminary round success against Tunisia in the final, securing the gold medal with a resounding 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-19, 25-16) and remarkably did not drop a single set throughout the entire tournament. Algeria comfortably secured the bronze medal by defeating Morocco in straight sets (25-14, 25-23, 25-14) in the third-place playoff.
From Egypt, Abdelrahim Joud was honored as both the Most Valuable Player and Best Outside Hitter. She was joined in the Dream Team by fellow Egyptians Mohamed Lena (Best Setter), Meawad Rynad (Best Libero), and Abouelhassan Nijar (Best Middle Blocker). Silver medalists Tunisia also had three players featured in the Dream Team: Allouch Malak (Best Outside Hitter), Chaffari Ranee (Best Middle Blocker), and Karamosly Hajer (Best Opposite).
Notably, the top three nations in both the boys` and girls` categories have qualified to represent Africa at the upcoming 2026 FIVB Boys and Girls Under-17 World Championships.
Finley Blackwood