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Malkia Strikers and Wafalme secured qualification for the All-African Games by finishing second in the Africa Zone Five Championships held in Cairo.

The women’s competition featured only two teams, Kenya and Egypt. Despite Kenya’s resilient effort, Egypt won 3-1 in the opening match and repeated the feat in the second match, securing a 3-1 win (25-22, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20) to qualify as winners, with Malkia Strikers qualifying as runners-up.

Malkia strikers counterparts

In the men’s category, Kenya, Burundi, and Egypt participated. Egypt dominated with a commanding 3-0 victory over Burundi.

Kenya’s Wafalme then secured a straight-set win (25-21, 25-23, 25-17) over Burundi. In the third match, Egypt had dominant performances, securing a 3-0 victory over Kenya’s Wafalme, qualifying as the winners, while Wafalme settled for the second spot in the qualifiers.

Both teams will now focus on the All-African Games scheduled for April. The 13th Edition of the African Games will take place in Accra, Ghana, from March 8 to 23, 2024.

The event is organized in collaboration with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of Africa Sports Confederations (AASC), following a Negotiated Agreement signed in February 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the Management and Organization of the 13th Edition of the African Games.

All African games postponement

The 13th All-Africa Games, initially scheduled for August 4-19, 2023, were postponed to 2024 due to various challenges.

Ghana faced difficulties in hosting the Games, with an impasse over marketing rights involving the African Union (AU), Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), and the Association of African Sports Confederations (AASC).

The disagreements were resolved on February 19, 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, facilitated by the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo.

In addition to the administrative challenges, Ghana struggled to complete the required facilities for hosting the games. The main arena for the games, located in Borteyman, was behind schedule in construction. The University of Ghana stadium also faced similar delays in completion.