Nigeria’s men’s volleyball team have qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Nations Championship in Tunisia after defeating Algeria 3-2 in a thrilling final Group C match on Thursday, September 17.
The Zone 3 champions recovered twice from behind to defeat Algeria 23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 15-12 and secure their place in the knockout stage of the continental championship.
Key Highlights
- Nigeria defeated Algeria 3-2 in their final Group C match.
- The Nigerian team recovered after losing the first and third sets.
- Nigeria won the decisive fifth set 15-12.
- The victory secured Nigeria’s place in the quarterfinals.
- Head coach Ryan Masajedi praised the players for their resilience.
- Nigeria had earlier defeated Chad 3-0 in their opening match.
- The championship also serves as part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 World Championship and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Nigeria Overcome Algeria In Five Sets
Nigeria started strongly in the opening set, but Algeria edged the closely contested contest 25-23 to take an early lead.
The Nigerian side responded in the second set, producing a stronger performance to level the match with a 25-19 victory.
Algeria regained the advantage in the third set, winning 25-21, but Nigeria refused to surrender.
The Zone 3 champions fought back again in the fourth set, winning 25-20 to force a deciding tie-break.
Nigeria maintained its composure in the fifth set and completed the comeback with a 15-12 victory.
The Confederation of African Volleyball said the match lasted two hours and six minutes, with Nigeria scoring 109 points compared with Algeria’s 101.
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Masajedi Praises Players’ Resilience
Head coach Ryan Masajedi praised the players for their ability to recover after falling behind.
The Japanese coach said Nigeria needed the victory to avoid unnecessary difficulties in the next stage of the competition.
“I am impressed with the way the players picked up after losing the first set. The set was in our hands, but the Algerians were lucky it went in their favour,” Masajedi said.
“The players have once again shown that they can perform under any circumstances. They picked up after the first set and we ended up winning the match.”
Masajedi also said the victory demonstrated that Nigeria’s opening win over Chad was the result of hard work.
“We started the tournament playing Chad and the victory against Algeria has cemented us amongst the favourites at the Nations Championship,” he added.
Nigeria opened its campaign with a 3-0 victory over Chad, winning 25-17, 25-17 and 25-16.
Nigeria Set Sights On Quarterfinals
Despite the important victory, Masajedi warned his players against complacency and urged them to focus immediately on their next assignment.
The coach also thanked Nigerians at home for their prayers, support and encouragement throughout the championship.
Nigeria will now prepare for the quarterfinal stage as the team continues its campaign at the continental championship.
The 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Nations Championship is being held in Tunis from September 15 to 25, with 16 national teams participating. The competition also forms part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 FIVB World Championship and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
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