Nigeria’s U19 Girls Beach Volleyball team triumphed at the 2024 African U19 Girls Beach Volleyball Nations Championship, securing the title with a dominant performance in Morocco.
Read Also: Sports Minister Supports Team Nigeria at African Athletics Senior Championships 2024
The formidable duo of Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa led Nigeria to a decisive victory over Morocco, winning the final 2-0 (21-8, 21-8) at Martil Beach in Tanger on Thursday.
Nigeria’s path to glory was marked by a series of commanding performances. In the group stages, they dispatched Congo DR with a 2-0 win (21-13, 21-6) and overcame Morocco’s Team B with another straight-sets victory (21-8, 21-11), topping Pool B effortlessly. Their momentum carried into the semifinals, where they crushed Gambia 2-0 (21-3, 21-9), setting up the final showdown against Morocco.
Esther Mbah, captain of the U19 team, expressed her elation following their championship win and qualification for the 2024 FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championship in China, scheduled for late August to early September. Mbah praised the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, particularly its President, Engineer Musa Nimrod, for their unwavering support and commitment to the team’s success.
“All glory to God for allowing us to represent the country at the U19 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship,” said Mbah. “Winning the gold medal for Nigeria after the African Games means a lot to me; we fought hard and got the desired results.
Preparations for the World Championship will begin in earnest; the annual Beach Tour in Nigeria will help us fine-tune some of our lapses, and our coaches have the technical abilities to help us grow.”
Mbah also reflected on the team’s narrow miss in the qualifiers for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Despite leading in the first set against Egypt, Nigeria was edged out, demonstrating the critical role of experience in high-stakes matches.
