By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
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, defeating Mali 3-0 in their final classification match at the Kasarani Stadium on Wednesday.
The CAVB Zone 3 champions secured a comfortable victory with scores of 25-23, 25-19 and 25-14 to finish ninth overall in the continental competition.
Nigeria placed fourth in their group after beating Ghana but losing to Cameroon and Tunisia. Their title hopes were dashed in the Round of 16 following a defeat to hosts and defending champions Kenya.
The Nigerian side, however, responded positively in the classification phase, beating Senegal before recording further victories over the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali to close out the tournament strongly.
President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimrod, praised the young squad, saying their performance demonstrated the potential available to Nigeria.
“I’m pleased with the young girls because, as I have always said, they have great potential,” Nimrod said.
He noted that many of the players had passed through his training programme and expressed satisfaction with their development.
Nimrod also thanked the Nigerian Ambassador and embassy officials in Kenya for their support, as well as the Kenyan people, whose encouragement contributed to the team’s experience throughout the championship.
Looking ahead, the federation president urged Nigeria’s beach volleyball players to intensify preparations following the country’s historic qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“It’s not going to be easy. Let the young beach volleyball players be ready for the big work ahead,” he warned.
Nimrod stressed that qualification alone should not be the ultimate goal, insisting that the athletes must be adequately prepared to compete for honours when Nigeria takes its place on the Olympic stage.
“There is a lot of work ahead, but we thank God,” he added.
