Nigeria seal African Nations Cup ticket with fourth straight win

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...NVBF President heaps praise on the media, says volleyball is flourishing

By Maxwell Kumoye 
 
 

Nigeria's men's volleyball team has qualified for the 2026 African Nations Cup finals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, after recording a fourth consecutive victory at the ongoing Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

The Nigerian side secured their place at the continental championship, scheduled for September 7 to 21, with a hard-fought 3-1 win over neighbours Benin Republic on Friday.

Benin Republic claimed the opening set 25-21 in a tense encounter that was marked by controversial officiating. However, Nigeria responded strongly to level the match by taking the second set 25-21. 

Tempers flared midway through the contest as Nigeria's head coach received a yellow card following a heated exchange with the officials.

The Nigerians maintained their momentum to dominate the remaining sets 25-15 and 25-20, sealing an impressive comeback victory.

The result handed Benin Republic their first defeat of the tournament while extending Nigeria's unbeaten run to four matches. Nigeria had earlier defeated Niger Republic 3-1, Côte d'Ivoire 3-0 and Togo 3-1.

With the victory, Nigeria joins Ghana as the two teams from Zone 3 to qualify for the African Nations Cup finals in DR Congo.

President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Engineer Musa Nimrod, commended the media for their continued support in promoting the sport.

"On behalf of the Board of Administration of the Nigerian Volleyball Federation, I sincerely thank you all for your unwavering support and the excellent coverage you have given our activities. Your commitment to promoting volleyball in Nigeria has helped project the Federation in a positive light, and we truly appreciate it," Nimrod said.

Looking ahead, the NVBF president revealed that preparations are already underway for the country's Under-19 boys' national team ahead of their competition in Egypt.

"As we continue our journey, preparations are underway for our Under-19 Boys National Team ahead of their upcoming competition in Egypt. We ask for your prayers and support as we work to overcome a few remaining challenges. We are confident everything will fall into place." The President added.

He also expressed satisfaction with the progress of volleyball in the country.

"We are delighted with the steady growth of volleyball in Nigeria. Our recent qualification for the competition in Congo and the qualification of our women's team for Kenya are clear signs that the sport is moving in the right direction.”

"Thank you once again for your continued support. Please keep reporting our successes and helping us grow the game. God bless you all."

Nigeria will conclude their Zone 3 qualifying campaign on Saturday with a match against Burkina Faso.

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