History Made! Nigeria qualifies for first-ever Olympic Volleyball event at LA 2028

Nigeria has written a new chapter in its sporting history after women's beach volleyball duo Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa booked the country's first-ever Olympic qualification in any volleyball event.

The Nigerian pair earned their ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games by defeating Morocco's Alexandria Erhart and Mahassine Darrhar in the final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship on Saturday at Abu Heif Beach in Alexandria, Egypt.

Their victory not only delivered the continental title but also ended years of heartbreak for Nigeria, which had previously finished as runners-up on three occasions without securing an Olympic place.

The final proved to be a remarkable redemption story for the Nigerian duo. Earlier in the tournament, Mbah and Bawa had suffered a defeat to the same Moroccan pair during the group stage.

However, when the stakes were highest, they produced a composed and commanding display.

Nigeria edged a closely contested opening set 21-18 before completely taking control in the second, cruising to a 21-10 victory to seal the championship.

Following the victory, Nigeria Volleyball Federation President Musa Nimrod praised the players and everyone involved in the historic campaign.

He described the qualification as a triumph for the entire nation and commended the technical crew for guiding the team to success.

“This qualification is a victory for the entire nation,” Nimrod said, while congratulating the players, coaches and media for their contributions to the landmark achievement.