Nigeria edge Ghana in five-set thriller for first Volleyball Championship win
Nigeria have bounced back in style at the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship, edging West African rivals Ghana 3-2 in a thrilling Group C encounter in Nairobi on Wednesday.
The victory was exactly the response Nigeria needed after their opening-day defeat to Tunisia, with the team showing resilience to recover from another tightly contested battle and secure their first win of the championship.
Playing at the Ulinzi Indoor Arena, Nigeria started strongly and claimed the opening set 25-21.
Ghana, however, refused to back down, matching Nigeria point for point before taking the second set by the same score to level the contest at 1-1.
Nigeria regained their momentum in the third set, producing their most dominant display of the match to sweep Ghana 25-11 and move within a set of victory.
But the Ghanaians had other ideas.
Ghana responded emphatically in the fourth set, winning 25-11 to force the match into a deciding fifth set and set up a tense finish.
With both sides battling for every point, the final set went down to the wire. Nigeria eventually kept their composure when it mattered most, holding off Ghana to win 18-16 and seal the hard-fought 3-2 victory.
Outside hitter Ijoma Elizabeth was among Nigeria’s standout performers, while the team also benefited from crucial contributions from its middle blockers during key moments of the contest.
The win moves Nigeria to third place in Group C, keeping their hopes of progressing in the competition alive.
Elsewhere in the group on Wednesday, Cameroon defeated Tunisia 3-0, winning 25-18, 25-17 and 25-23.
Nigeria will return to action on Thursday against Cameroon, with the team hoping to carry the confidence from their dramatic victory over Ghana into another crucial group-stage encounter.
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