Elsayed Moussa Saad Moussa steered Egypt to a hard-fought bronze medal in men’s sitting volleyball at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, overcoming Germany 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-10) in a thrilling encounter on Friday at the North Paris Arena.
This victory marked Egypt’s third Paralympic bronze, their first coming in Athens 2004 followed by Rio 2016, while Germany, having claimed bronze twice before in Barcelona 1992 and London 2012, fell just short of the podium this time.
The match saw Saad Moussa take centre stage, delivering a match-high 19 points, including 16 attacks, two blocks, and an ace, proving pivotal in Egypt’s triumph. His efforts were supported by four other Egyptian players contributing double-digit scores: Hesham Elshwikh tallied 14 points, while Ahmed Mohamed Soliman Khamis and Metawa Abouelkhir added 13 each, and Mohamed Abouelyazeid chipped in with 12. On the German side, Dominik Albrecht led the way with 17 points, supported by Heiko Wiesenthal with 14 and Thomas Renger with 10.
Statistically, Egypt outpaced Germany in key offensive categories, leading in attacks (65-53) and aces (7-3), while Germany demonstrated a stronger defensive presence at the net with 13 blocks to Egypt’s eight. However, it was Egypt’s sharper execution in attack and service that proved decisive as the match unfolded.
The contest began with both teams struggling to find their rhythm, as errors dominated the early exchanges, resulting in a 3-3 tie. Germany briefly gained the upper hand after Egypt’s mistakes, but the first clean attacks from Khamis and Juergen Schrapp signalled a shift. The teams remained locked in a tight battle until 18-18, when a spate of German errors allowed Egypt to edge ahead. Abouelkhir and Saad Moussa took advantage, pushing Egypt to a 24-21 lead before the latter sealed the set with a fierce spike, securing a 25-22 victory for Egypt in the first set.
Germany responded in the second set, with Albrecht and Renger leading an early surge. Although Egypt mounted a brief scoring run to go ahead 14-10, Germany capitalised on Egyptian errors to bring the score back to 18-18. The intensity remained high, with neither team able to establish a commanding lead. In the final moments, Albrecht and Wiesenthal’s clinical attacks gave Germany the edge, allowing them to scrape a 25-23 win and level the match at one set apiece.
The third set followed a similar pattern of tight exchanges, with Egypt jumping to an early 6-3 lead thanks to Albrecht’s strong attacks. Germany appeared in control, but a series of costly errors allowed Egypt to catch up and level the score at 14-14. From that point, Khamis and Saad Moussa took command, bombarding the German blockers with powerful attacks. A late German rally, led by Schiffler and Tonleu, brought the set to a nail-biting 23-23 tie. However, Abouelyazeid’s decisive swing gave Egypt set point, and a German setting error handed Egypt the set 25-23, putting them back in front.
Germany, undeterred, came out firing in the fourth set, racing to a 4-0 lead with Tonleu and Albrecht spearheading their attack. Although Egypt fought back to close the gap, Germany maintained their grip on the set, leading 19-14 at one stage. Yet, as had been the case throughout the match, Egypt refused to back down. They mounted a thrilling comeback, reducing the deficit to just one point at 23-22. Renger’s quick thinking at the net gave Germany some breathing room at 24-22, but Abouelyazeid’s relentless attack kept Egypt within reach. Finally, Schiffler’s spike clinched the set for Germany, 25-23, forcing a fifth and final set.
The deciding set was every bit as tense as the previous ones, with both teams battling for every point. However, it was Egypt who found their rhythm first, with Ashraf Zaghloul Abdelaziz Abdalla making a crucial impact, helping his team to a 10-5 lead. Germany struggled to regain their momentum, and as Egypt’s attack continued to gain steam, Saad Moussa stepped up once again, delivering the final blow with a powerful strike to secure a 15-10 win and Egypt’s well-earned bronze medal.
Photo: WPV/Sinisa Kanizaj.
