Nigeria’s senior men’s volleyball team have secured a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Nations Championship in Tunisia after defeating Algeria in a thrilling five-set encounter yesterday.
The Zone 3 champions rallied from behind to beat the North Africans 23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 15-12 in a dramatic final group-stage clash.
Nigeria started brightly and took an early advantage in the opening set, but Algeria recovered to edge the West Africans 25-23.
The Nigerian side responded emphatically in the second set, dominating proceedings to win 25-19 and level the match.
Algeria regained control in the third set, winning 25-21, leaving Nigeria with their backs against the wall.
The Nigerians, however, produced another spirited comeback in the fourth set, winning 25-20 to force a decisive tie-breaker.
With qualification at stake, Nigeria held their nerve in the fifth set to prevail 15-12 and book their place in the last eight.
Head coach Ryan Masajedi praised the resilience and fighting spirit of his players, insisting that the victory was the result of hard work and determination.
“I am impressed with the way the players picked up after losing the first set. The set was in our favour, but the Algerians were lucky it went in their favour,” Masajedi said.
“The players have once again shown that they can perform under any circumstances. They picked up after the first set and we ended up winning the match.”
Masajedi said the victory was particularly important because Nigeria wanted to avoid a difficult route in the knockout stages.
“We needed to win this match and avoid struggling in the Round of 16,” he added.
The Japanese coach also pointed to Nigeria’s earlier victory over Chad as evidence of the team’s progress at the championship.
“We started the tournament playing Chad and the victory against Algeria has cemented us amongst the favourites at the Nations Championship.”
Despite the impressive qualification, Masajedi warned his players against complacency, urging them to immediately shift their attention to their quarterfinal opponent.
He also expressed appreciation to Nigerians at home for their prayers, support and words of encouragement throughout the championship.
Nigeria will now turn their attention to the quarterfinals as they continue their quest for continental honours in Tunisia.