Nigeria booked their place at the 2026 African Volleyball Nations Cup after coming from a set down to beat Benin Republic 3-1 at the ongoing Zone 3 qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Friday, July 17.
The Nigerians recovered from a difficult start to claim a 21-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-20 victory and secure qualification for the continental championship, which will be staged in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, from September 7 to 21.
Benin took the opening set 25-21 in a game overshadowed by controversial officiating, but Nigeria quickly found their rhythm. They levelled the match by winning the second set by the same score before taking control of the final two sets to complete an impressive turnaround.
The victory maintained Nigeria’s perfect record at the qualifiers, stretching their unbeaten run to four matches after earlier wins over Niger Republic, hosts Ivory Coast and Togo. It also handed Benin Republic their first defeat of the competition.
Nigeria Volleyball Federation president Musa Nimrod hailed the achievement, describing it as another sign of the sport’s steady development across the country after both the men’s and women’s national teams secured qualification for their respective continental tournaments.
“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,” Nimrod said.
The federation boss revealed that attention had already shifted to the country’s Under-19 boys’ team, who are preparing for an upcoming competition in Egypt.
“As we continue our journey, preparations are underway for our U-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,” he said.
Nimrod also praised the media for helping to raise the profile of volleyball in Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
Nigeria will conclude their Zone 3 qualifying campaign against Burkina Faso later today, July 18.
