Nigeria have secured their first-ever Olympic beach volleyball qualification after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the women’s final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship in Alexandria, Egypt.
The Nigerian pair dominated the final at Abu Heif Beach, taking the opening set 21-17 before completing the job with a commanding 21-10 victory in the second.
The result guarantees Nigeria a place in the beach volleyball competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, ending a 16-year wait and years of near misses in the continental championship.
Nigeria had reached the African final three times previously but settled for silver on each occasion.
President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Musa Nimrod, described the victory as a national achievement and praised the players and officials for finally converting years of disappointment into success.
“This is the fourth time we are going into the finals; we finished in second place on three occasions. God has done it for us on our fourth trial and given us victory. It is not the Nigeria Volleyball Federation’s success alone but the entire nation.”
Nimrod said the qualification represents the reward for years of persistence by the federation and its athletes.
“After all these 16 years, today God has made it possible for the federation.”
Nigeria booked their place in the final after defeating Mozambique 2-0 in the semi-final, winning both sets 21-17.
The victory in Alexandria marks a significant addition to Nigeria’s Olympic sporting record and gives the country a new opportunity to compete for an Olympic medal in a sport in which it has never previously appeared at the Games.
The Secretary General of CAVB Zone 3 also commended the National Sports Commission and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, for their support for volleyball development in Nigeria.
Nigeria will now turn its attention to preparations for Los Angeles 2028, where the women’s beach volleyball team will make the country’s Olympic debut in the discipline.
By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
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