Former Bulgaria head coach Camillo Placi is embarking on a new major challenge at the helm of Tunisia. Today, the African Men's Championship kicks off in the Tunisian capital, and the stakes are huge – a continental title, a direct quota for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, and three spots for the 2027 World Cup in Poland.
The championship gathers 13 national teams and will continue until September 25. The African champion will receive the only direct Olympic quota from the tournament, and the three medalists will qualify for the World Cup.
For the Bulgarian public, the host Tunisia is particularly interesting. The team is led by Camillo Placi, whom we know well from his period at the helm of the Bulgarian national team.
Tunisia enters the competition just a year after its strong performance at the 2025 World Championship in the Philippines. It was under Placi's leadership that the Africans won Group A in Pasay City with two wins, one loss, and 6 points, surpassing Iran, the Philippines, and Egypt.
The last match in the group was particularly important, in which Tunisia defeated Egypt 3:0 (25:19, 25:18, 25:22). The success secured first place and qualification for the round of 16. Interestingly, the last point against Egypt came after a block by the then 21-year-old middle blocker Mahdi Ben Taher.
In the round of 16, Tunisia met the Czech Republic and was eliminated, and in the official final ranking of Volleyball World, Placi's team took 12th place in the world.
Mahdi Ben Taher is the other interesting Bulgarian connection in Placi's team. The 204-centimeter middle blocker was part of Tunisia's squad at the World Championship, where he played with №17. Bulgarian fans also know him from his time at Beroe, and in the new club season, he will be a teammate of Bulgarian international Venislav Antov at French club Tourcoing. Antov also continues with the club for the 2026/27 season.

Now the task for Placi and Tunisia is even greater. The hosts are in Group A along with Ghana and Kenya. First place has additional value because the group winner qualifies directly for the quarterfinals.
Tunisia starts the tournament as №44 in the world ranking and the second highest-ranked African team after Egypt, which is №27. However, the hosts have the richest history on the continent – 11 African titles, 7 silver, and 2 bronze medals. In the previous championship in 2023, they remained off the podium for the first time since 2009.
Egypt, which is in Group B with Morocco and Gambia, begins its title defense. Group C consists of Algeria, Chad, and Nigeria, and Group D is the only one with four teams – Rwanda, Central African Republic, Cameroon, and DR Congo.
The format stipulates that all 13 teams will proceed to the knockout phase. The winners of Groups A, C, and D go directly to the quarterfinals, while the remaining ten teams will play five round of 16 matches for the other five spots among the top eight.
Initially, the African Championship was supposed to be held in Kinshasa, DR Congo. Due to health security concerns related to the Ebola epidemic, the hosting was moved to Tunisia, and the tournament was postponed by ten days.
On September 25, the new African champion will be determined. For Camillo Placi and Tunisia, the goal is twofold – a return to the continental top and the most valuable prize that comes with the title: a direct spot at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov