Nigeria Beach Volleyball: Women Beat Benin, Men Fall to Algeria at Alexandria 2026

Nigeria made a mixed start to the 2026 CAVB Beach Volleyball Continental Cup in Alexandria, Egypt, with the women’s team recording a straight-sets victory over Benin, while the men’s pair suffered defeat against Algeria.

The opening-day results at Abu Heif Beach saw Nigeria’s women’s duo of Esther and Pamela produce a dominant performance to defeat Benin’s Souraya and Blandine 2-0 in their Group D encounter.

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Nigeria took control early, winning the opening set 21-14, before maintaining their momentum to close out the match with a convincing 21-10 second-set victory.

The result provides an encouraging beginning for Nigeria’s women as they continue their quest for success at the continental championship and a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The men, however, endured a tougher opening day after Nigeria was beaten 2-0 by Algeria.

The Algerian pair dictated the pace of the contest and secured identical 21-14, 21-14 victories in both sets.

Nigeria struggled to find the consistency required to challenge Algeria’s dominance and was unable to force the match into a deciding set.

The Alexandria 2026 championship, which runs until August 22, has attracted 45 teams from 28 African countries, comprising 24 men’s teams and 21 women’s teams.

Beyond the continental title, the tournament carries significant Olympic importance, with the men’s and women’s champions earning direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The championship is being held under the patronage of Alexandria Governor Engineer Ayman Atiya, while Aida Ismail, a Board member of the African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB), serves as Chairperson of the Organising Committee.

CAVB President Bouchra Hajij is also in attendance as teams battle for continental honours and Olympic qualification.

Nigeria will now turn its attention to the next round of matches, with the women looking to build on their winning start and the men aiming to bounce back from their defeat in Alexandria.