Nigeria’s men’s volleyball team have qualified for the 2026 African Volleyball Nations Cup, scheduled to hold in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from September 7 to 21. They booked their place after a convincing 3-1 victory over Benin Republic at the ongoing Zone 3 qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Benin Republic took the first set 25-21 in a fiercely contested match that featured a number of controversial refereeing decisions. But Nigeria showed great character to bounce back, winning the second set 25-21 before taking full control of the game with convincing 25-15 and 25-20 victories in the final two sets to complete a memorable comeback.
The win also handed Benin Republic their first defeat of the tournament, while Nigeria stretched their perfect run in the qualifiers to four straight victories after earlier seeing off Niger Republic 3-1, Ivory Coast 3-0 and Togo 3-1.
The President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Musa Nimrod, expressed his satisfaction after the men’s team qualified for the tournament in Congo, while the women’s team also secured qualification for the tournament in Kenya.
“We are delighted with the steady growth of volleyball in Nigeria. Our recent qualification for the competition in Congo and the qualification of our women’s team for Kenya are clear signs that the sport is moving in the right direction,” Nimrod said.
The President also stated that preparations have begun for Nigeria’s Under-19 boys’ team ahead of the upcoming tournament in Egypt, while calling for continued support as the federation works to address the remaining challenges.
“As we continue our journey, preparations are underway for our U-19 Boys National Team ahead of their upcoming competition in Egypt. We ask for your prayers and support as we work to overcome a few remaining challenges. We are confident everything will fall into place,” he said.
In conclusion, Nimrod also appreciated the media for its coverage of the sport, saying the support had helped project the federation positively.
“On behalf of the Board of Administration of the Nigerian Volleyball Federation, I sincerely thank you all for your unwavering support and the excellent coverage you have given our activities. Your commitment to promoting volleyball in Nigeria has helped project the federation in a positive light, and we truly appreciate it.”
Nigeria will wrap up their Zone 3 qualifying campaign with a clash against Burkina Faso on Saturday.
