Nigeria’s senior women’s volleyball team ended their campaign at the 2026 African Senior Women’s Volleyball Nations Championship in Kenya on a winning note, finishing ninth after a commanding victory over Mali in their final classification match at the Kasarani Stadium.
The CAVB Zone 3 champions defeated Mali in straight sets, winning 3-0 with scores of 25-23, 25-19 and 25-14 to secure ninth position at the continental championship.
Nigeria has endured a challenging start to the competition, finishing fourth in their group after recording one victory against Ghana and suffering defeats to Cameroon and Tunisia.
Their hopes of advancing deeper into the championship were later dashed in the Round of 16 following a defeat to hosts and defending champions Kenya.
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However, the Nigerian team showed resilience in the classification matches, bouncing back with victories over Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo before wrapping up their campaign with the convincing win against Mali.
President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Musa Nimrod, expressed delight over the performances of the young Nigerian players, describing their outing in Kenya as a clear indication of the country’s enormous potential in the sport.
“I’m pleased with the young girls because, as I have always said, they have great potential,” Nimrod said.
According to him, the progress displayed by the players was particularly encouraging, noting that many of them had benefited from his developmental training programme.
“It shows that Nigeria is ready to conquer Africa in volleyball. I have seen the potential in these young players, and I’m delighted that they were able to win their match while I was here,” he added.
Nimrod also commended Nigeria’s Ambassador to Kenya, as well as officials and staff of the Nigerian Embassy, for their support and encouragement throughout the championship.
He noted that such backing provides important motivation for Nigerian athletes competing outside the country.
The NVBF president also turned his attention to Nigeria’s beach volleyball programme, urging the country’s young players to intensify preparations following Nigeria’s historic qualification for the Olympic Games.
“It’s not going to be easy. Let the young beach volleyball players be ready for the big work ahead,” Nimrod warned.
He stressed that qualifying for the Olympic Games should not be regarded as the final destination, insisting that the athletes must prepare thoroughly to compete successfully against the world’s best.
“There is a lot of work ahead, but we thank God,” he said.
Nimrod further expressed appreciation to the Kenyan people, the Nigerian Embassy and its staff for the massive support extended to the Nigerian delegation during the championship.
The federation boss said the encouragement received from fans and officials in Kenya contributed significantly to the morale of the Nigerian team as the young players concluded the tournament with an encouraging ninth-place finish.
