Wafalme Stars begin their campaign at the 2026 CAVB Men's African Nations Volleyball Championship in Tunis, Tunisia in pool A against familiar foe Ghana and hosts Tunisia.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsAction gets underway on Tuesday, 15 September with five matches on the cards, but Gideon Tarus' charges will have their first battle on Wednesday against the hosts, a tough test for the Kenyan side.With a top three finish for Wafalme set to guarantee them a place in next year's World Championships, a massive feat should it come to fruition, the opening match is likely to expose the team's readiness for the herculean task ahead.Malkia Strikers coach lists ingredients needed for success at Volleyball World CupTunisia are ranked 44th in the FIVB World Ranking and second highest in African.They are also the most decorated team in the history of the African Nations Championships with 11 titles, seven silver and two bronze medals. However, at the previous edition in 2023, Tunisia missed out on the podium for the first time since 2009, proving a tough opponent for Wafalme.Meanwhile, the match against Ghana, set for Thursday, 17 September pits Kenya against a familiar opponent. Wafalme have a strong history of competitive matches against Ghana in major continental tournaments and their last two meetings have seen the Kenyan side prevail.At the Africa games in 2024, Kenya defeated hosts Ghana 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-14) in the group stage, barely a year after beating them twice in the 2023 CAVB African Nations Championship in Cairo. First came a 3-2 comeback win in the pool stage and later in the ninth place playoff with a similar scoreline.##NAJAVA_MECA_9962394##Wafalme will look to finish top of their group as the winners of Pools A, C and D will progress straight to the quarterfinals, while the remaining 10 teams will engage in five games to fill the remaining quarterfinal places.Defending champions Egypt headlines Pool B and are favourites, ranked 26th in the world and top of the continent. In 2023, they won the African Nations Championship crown for the ninth time, in addition to the six silvers and three bronze in their showcase.Morocco, who have been on the continental podium with bronze three times, most recently in 2015, and The Gambia are the other two sides to compete in Pool BWorld Cup slot at stake as Kenya hosts Africa Netball Cup for the first timeNigeria, the third highest ranked African team, in 53rd place, will lead Pool C. The Nigerians have picked one medal in the history of the African Nations Championships, a silver back in 2001, when they hosted the event. The runners-up of the last edition, Algeria, are also in this pool. They have two titles (1991, 1993), four silvers and six bronze in their continental collection. Chad are the third team in that pool.Pool D is the only one with four teams. It features Cameroon, 54th in the world and the fourth highest ranked African team. They have two gold (1989, 2001), five silver and five bronze medals in their Championship showcase. Their last podium was silver in 2021, while in 2023 they finished fourth. Central Africa, DR Congo and Rwanda complete Pool D.##NAJAVA_MECA_9962374##