Tunisia secured a ticket to the Round of 16 of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship with a masterful 3-0 win over reigning African champion Egypt, 25-19, 25-18, 25-22, on Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The Tunisians finished Pool A with a 2-1 record. Thanks to a superior set ratio over the two other teams—Philippines and Iran—who will contest the remaining knockout stage spot, Tunisia also clinched the top seed in their group.
This marks Tunisia’s second consecutive appearance in the Round of 16. They will face the second seed from Pool H, which could be Serbia, Brazil, or Czechia, depending on the outcome of the upcoming Czechia vs. China matchup.
“From the start of this World Championship, we knew that the match against Egypt would be decisive. So we prepared well for it, and we played very well in service and attack,” said outside hitter Oussama Ben Romdhane.
“That’s very good for us, clinching the top seed. We don’t know yet if we will face Serbia, Brazil, or Czechia, but we will prepare and play a strong match to qualify for the next round,” he added.
The trio of Elyes Karamosli, Ben Romdhane, and Ali Bongui spearheaded Tunisia’s dominance, making the most impact for the last African team remaining in the tournament.
Karamosli converted 14 of his 26 spike attempts for 14 points, while Ben Romdhane also scored 14 points, contributed through eight attacks, four aces, and two blocks. Bongui added 13 points, helping Tunisia leap seven places in the FIVB rankings, from 40th to 33rd.
For Egypt, who claimed the 2023 African Nations Championship, the tournament ended with a 1-2 record. Their lone win came against Iran, with Seifeldin Hassan Aly and Ahmed Said Shafik leading the team with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
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