Dusenge’s record haul offers Rwanda hope despite sixth-place finish

Rwanda opposite attacker Wicklif Dusenge says his outstanding individual performance at the 2026 Africa Men’s Nations Championship in Tunisia was driven by a desire to help the team achieve its objectives at the tournament. Dusenge, 27, finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with 138 points, setting a new scoring record in the competition. His tally surpassed the previous record of 130 points set by Egypt’s Ahmed Salah. The Rwanda captain was his team’s leading offensive force throughout the tournament, recording 118 attack points, six blocks and 14 service points across seven matches. His scoring tally earned him the tournament’s top-scorer award and capped a standout individual campaign, despite Rwanda finishing sixth overall. Speaking to Times Sport after the championship, Dusenge said his primary focus was to make a significant contribution whenever he was on court, making his individual performance a source of satisfaction despite the team falling short of its ambitions. “It’s amazing. Of course, my main goal was to be that productive player every time I was sent onto the court. Even though we didn’t reach our goals as a team, on an individual level, it was satisfying considering the work I put in,” Dusenge said. ALSO READ: Rwanda finish sixth after Egypt defeat at African Championship Dusenge’s record-breaking performance also earned praise from diplomat Jean Pierre Karabaranga, a former University of Rwanda volleyball player and former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture and Sport. Karabaranga hailed the Rwanda captain in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, describing the achievement as a significant milestone for African volleyball. “It will take years and years, perhaps even generations, to break this record! “Thank you, Mr. Captain, for writing your name in golden letters in the history of African volleyball, for flying our national flag so high across the African continent, and for being an outstanding ambassador of Rwandan volleyball,” Karabaranga wrote. While his individual performance provided a bright spot for Rwanda, Dusenge believes the team must address several areas if it is to challenge for a place on the continental podium. Rwanda finished sixth after losing to Egypt in the fifth-place playoff. Their hopes of reaching the semifinals had earlier ended with a quarterfinal defeat to hosts Tunisia. Dusenge believes Rwanda have the quality to compete for a podium finish but says preparations must improve, particularly through exposure to more international matches before major tournaments. “We need to prepare intensely, not only in the usual way of having a camp and playing against each other, which honestly doesn’t add value to a roster preparing to represent the nation at a continental level. “You find teams like Egypt and Cameroon going to Europe to play international games. It’s not a miracle if you see them on the podium. So, in our case, if nothing is done to reach that level of preparedness, there is no way to expect more than what we delivered,” Dusenge said.

Sports

Dusenge’s record haul offers Rwanda hope despite sixth-place finish