Let’s take a look at the three teams Alas Pilipinas will face in Pool A of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship on home soil.
With the draw all said and done, Alas Pilipinas finally gets a clearer picture of their FIVB Men’s World Championship pool a year from now. As Pool A’s top seed, the Nationals will be facing African powerhouses Tunisia and Egypt, alongside a continental neighbor in Iran.
It’ll be a formidable task for Alas, who will be making their World Championship debut. After all, their opponents bring a history of success, along with consistent appearances in the international meet.
“Para sa akin naman, kahit sino naman siguro ka-bracket namin doon, lahat naman sila malalakas. Mas magwo-work hard kami para makasabay kami sa kung anong ipapakita nila at para sa mga Filipino fans,” outside hitter Michaelo “Buds” Buddin said following the draw in Solaire Resort Pasay over the weekend.
While challenging, facing these powerhouses will bring invaluable lessons that can help build a bright future for Philippine volleyball.
“Malaking bagay ‘yon para sa men’s volleyball sa Pilipinas kasi para makita ng mga susunod na players sa amin na may ganon palang liga na pwede na makalaro yung mga Pilipino. And para pagsikapan din nila na sa susunod na magiging national team,” added veteran Kim Malabunga.
With that, let’s take an early look at Alas Pilipinas men’s Pool A opponents.
Iran
Iran will be the Asian powerhouse accompanying Alas in Pool A. They are currently World No. 15 in the FIVB rankings and are Asia’s second-best men’s volleyball team behind World No. 6 and Pool G leader Japan.
Team Melli has also won the Asian Championships four times, doing so in 2011, 2013, 2019, and 2021. While they fell to Japan in 2023, a silver medal finish nonetheless guaranteed their 2025 World Championship berth, following their 13th-place finish in 2022.
Heading into 2025, the quest continues for Iran to eclipse their sixth-placed finish in 2014, or at least break their back-to-back 13th-place finishes in the 2018 and 2022 editions.
Tunisia
Tunisia enters the MWCH 2025 as the World’s No. 24-ranked men’s volleyball team and will make their seventh consecutive World Championship appearance since 2002. The Eagles are also 11-time African Championship winners, with their most recent title coming in 2021 to achieve a three-peat.
Unlike the past two iterations, world rankings guaranteed Tunisia’s entry into the World Championships after finishing fifth in the 2023 African Championships. Still, they head into Manila as Africa’s second-best team, which is still a testament to their elite level of play.
Tunisia also gets another chance to eclipse their 15th-placed finish in 2006. After finishing 16th in 2022, will the stars finally align for them in the Philippines?
Egypt
With Tunisia exiting early, it was Egypt winning the 2023 African Championship to book a 2025 World Championship berth, and eighth consecutive appearance since 1998.
It’s been a productive 2024 for the Egyptians, which will serve as a solid foundation for their ongoing preparations. After all, they are coming off an Olympic appearance in Paris, and copped bronze in the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup in China.
Likewise, they’ve held on to be Africa’s top men’s volleyball team, and are currently in the world’s top 20. So while they’ve struggled in past World Championships, maybe this year is a sign of things to come for 2025.
But these are just initial assessments of Pool A’s trio of powerhouses. No doubt that things will get more interesting once these teams finalize their rosters moving forward.
Banner image from SAVA on Facebook.