Nigeria have reached the women’s semifinal of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, after beating the hosts 2-1 in a tense quarterfinal on Friday.
The Nigerian pair of Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa defeated Egypt’s Dina and Yakki 21-17, 15-21, 15-11 to secure their place in the last four.
Mbah and Bawa controlled the opening set 21-17, but the Egyptian pair fought back to take the second 21-15 and force a deciding set.
The Zone Three champions kept their composure in the decider, winning 15-11 to complete the victory.
Nigeria coach Kayode Ajilore praised the pair for their resilience and performance against the hosts.
Ajilore said Nigeria would respect Mozambique but remain focused on reaching the final.
“We are not going to underrate Mozambique. We’ll give our best and bring honour to the nation,” he said.
He also thanked Nigeria Volleyball Federation President, Engineer Musa Nimrod, the federation’s board and the Association of Former Female Athletes in Nigeria, AFFAN, for their support.
Nigeria will face Mozambique in Saturday’s semifinal as Mbah and Bawa continue their bid for the continental title and Africa’s sole beach volleyball ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
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