Egypt head coach Marco Bonitta praised Alas Pilipinas after the Philippines' stunning four-set win in the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship.
Egypt head coach Marco Bonitta had nothing but praise for Alas Pilipinas after the hosts pulled off a historic four-set win over the reigning African champions in the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday.
The three-time Olympian tactician acknowledged that his squad wasn’t at its best—but made it clear that the Angiolino Frigoni-led Philippine team thoroughly deserved the victory.
"First of all, congratulations to the Philippine team because they played one amazing, consistent match, especially on serve, blocking, and defense," said Bonitta.
"They had clear options in transition, especially in attack after defense. They deserve to win. Today wasn’t our best level of volleyball. We will try to do our best after tomorrow because we have to win against Tunisia."
The veteran coach was well aware of the quality Alas Men brought to the table, even before the match began.
"Philippines played amazing match today but we knew that before," Bonitta said.
"The level of this team was the third set against Tunisia and they lost only 25-23. We knew that we have to be patient to play—but they played better than us and they deserve it."
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Despite the defeat, the world no. 22 Egyptians remain in contention for the Round of 16 as all four teams from Pool A are tied with identical 1-1 records.
Their final match of the preliminary round will be a do-or-die encounter against Tunisia, which is set for Thursday, September 18.
"We have to relax our minds for sure because this match today was so tough for us," said Bonitta. "I tried to use all my players, all my bench. Now, we have to relax and think about the next [match]."
[ALSO READ: Marck Espejo hopes historic FIVB Worlds victory can inspire next generation of Alas Pilipinas]
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.