Nigeria’s women’s beach volleyball team began their campaign at the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, with a convincing 2-0 victory over Benin Republic, while the Nigerian men’s team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Algeria.
Key Highlights
- Nigeria women beat Benin Republic 2-0 in their opening match.
- Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa won 21-14, 21-10.
- Nigeria’s women are targeting a strong run at the championship as part of their Los Angeles 2028 Olympic qualification bid.
- Nigeria men lost 2-0 to Algeria in their opening fixture.
- Algeria won both sets 21-14.
The championship is taking place in Alexandria, Egypt, with teams competing for continental honours and Olympic qualification opportunities.
Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa produced a dominant performance against their Benin Republic opponents, winning the opening set 21-14 before sealing the match with a 21-10 victory in the second set.
The result gives the Nigerian women a positive start at the continental championship as they pursue a strong finish and valuable progress towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Mbah and Bawa will now aim to build on their opening victory as the competition continues in Alexandria.
Nigeria, however, endured a difficult start in the men’s event after losing 2-0 to Algeria.
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The Algerian pair controlled both sets and recorded identical 21-14 victories to secure the match and hand Nigeria an early setback in the competition.
The championship has brought together leading beach volleyball teams from across Africa, with athletes competing for continental honours and opportunities linked to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
On the sidelines of the tournament, African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB) President Bouchra Hajij exchanged pleasantries with Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) board member Chinedu Onikeku, OLY.
Onikeku represents the Association of Former Female Athletes in Nigeria (AFFAN) on the NVBF board and is also a member of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Nigerian women’s victory over Benin provides an encouraging start to the country’s campaign, while the men will look to recover from their opening defeat as the championship progresses.
