Nigeria Records First Win at 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Championship

Nigerian men's volleyball team in celebration after defeating Chad

Nigeria opened its campaign at the 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Championship with a straight-set victory over Chad on Wednesday, September 16, defeating their Group C opponents 3-0 in Tunisia.

The Nigerian team controlled the match from the start, taking the opening set 25-17 before producing another 25-17 win in the second set.

Nigeria then completed the victory in the third set to secure its first win of the championship.

The result gives Ryan Masajedi’s side an early advantage in Group C as the team continues its push for a place in the next round.

Nigeria's campaign carries added importance, with the championship serving as part of the qualification process for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the 2027 FIVB World Championship.

The team will now turn its attention to Algeria, its next opponent in the group.

Masajedi had earlier identified progression from the group stage as Nigeria's immediate objective, with the team also looking to finish top of the group and secure a favourable pairing in the next round.

Nigeria will therefore need to maintain its focus when it faces Algeria, particularly after making a strong start against Chad.

The victory also marks a positive return to the continental championship for Nigeria, which last featured in the competition in 2021 and finished seventh after defeating the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-0 in the classification match.

Nigeria missed the 2023 edition and will now look to build on Wednesday's result as its 2026 campaign continues.