Nigeria’s women’s volleyball team produced a remarkable comeback on Tuesday, recovering from two sets down to defeat the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 in a thrilling 9th-12th classification match at the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Nigerian side appeared headed for defeat after DR Congo took the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-22, placing Nigeria under intense pressure.
However, the Nigerians refused to give up. They fought back strongly in the third set, winning 25-21, before delivering a dominant performance in the fourth set to overwhelm DR Congo 25-13 and force the match into a decisive fifth set.
The final set proved to be a tense battle, but Nigeria held their nerve when it mattered most, edging DR Congo 15-13 to complete a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory.
The result highlighted the determination and resilience of the Nigerian side, which found another level when the match appeared to be slipping away.
Reacting after the victory, Nigeria’s head coach, Elishama Elam, expressed delight at his players’ resilience and praised the fighting spirit that inspired the comeback.
“I feel so great, and I’m happy to be a Nigerian. We never say die,” Elam said. The coach attributed the turnaround to determination and faith.
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“We give God all the glory because, obviously, this is the Nigerian spirit that keeps us going. We thank God because He did it for us,” he added.
Elam, however, insisted that the victory would not lead to complacency, stressing that the team would approach its final match of the championship with the same intensity and determination.
“We will approach it with the same determination. Since it is going to be our last match, we will ensure that we give the last drop of our sweat on this court. We will give everything we have,” he said.
The victory gives Nigeria renewed confidence heading into their final classification encounter after demonstrating the character and fighting spirit to recover from a difficult start and battle until the final point.
