Nigeria have booked their place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship after defeating hosts Egypt in straight sets in their Round of 16 encounter in Alexandria.
The Nigerian pair of Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa overcame their Egyptian opponents 21-17, 21-16 on Friday, August 21, to advance to the last eight of the continental competition.
Mbah and Bawa made a strong start to the opening set, maintaining their composure under pressure and building enough of an advantage to secure a 21-17 win.
The Nigerians continued to control proceedings in the second set, preventing the hosts from mounting a comeback as they completed a 21-16 victory.
The result represents an impressive response from the Nigerian duo after their defeat to Morocco in their final group-stage fixture.
Mbah and Bawa, who won a bronze medal at the 2024 African Games, will now prepare for the quarterfinal stage as they continue their campaign in Egypt.
Reacting to the victory, Nigeria Volleyball Federation board member, Chinedu Onikeku (OLY), praised the players for their performance against the host nation.
Onikeku said the result had generated excitement among Nigerians and described the pair as one of the teams capable of making a significant impact in African beach volleyball.
“Nigerians are excited with the performance of the girls against the host nation, Egypt, in the Round of 16,” Onikeku said.
He added that the players had made Nigerians proud with their display and demonstrated their quality against a strong home side.
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“Esther and Pamela gave a good account of themselves and proved that they are a force to reckon with in beach volleyball,” he said.
Onikeku also praised the pair for recovering from their group-stage defeat to Morocco, describing the win over Egypt as an important statement from the Nigerian team.
“They bounced back from their loss against Morocco in their third group-stage match, and this victory is a huge statement from the team,” he said.
With their quarterfinal place secured, Mbah and Bawa will now turn their attention to the next stage of the championship as Nigeria continue their pursuit of a medal in Alexandria.
