Nigeria defeat DR Congo in five-set cpomeback at African Women’s Volleyball Championship
By: Maxwell Kumoye
Nigeria’s women’s volleyball team staged a remarkable comeback on Tuesday, rallying from two sets down to defeat the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 in a thrilling 9th-12th classification match at the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Nigerians appeared destined for defeat after DR Congo claimed the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-22, putting Nigeria under immense pressure.
However, Nigeria refused to surrender.
The team responded strongly in the third set, winning 25-21 before producing a dominant performance in the fourth set to crush DR Congo 25-13 and force a decisive fifth set.
The final set was a tense affair, but Nigeria held their nerve to edge DR Congo 15-13 and complete a stunning 3-2 comeback victory.
The result reflected the fighting spirit of a Nigerian side that found another gear when the match appeared to be slipping away.
Reacting after the dramatic victory, Nigeria’s head coach, Elishama Elam, expressed his delight at the team’s resilience and praised the fighting spirit that carried them through.
“I feel so great, and I’m happy to be a Nigerian. We never say die,” Elam said.
The coach attributed the comeback to determination and faith, adding: “We give God all the glory because, obviously, this is the Nigerian spirit that keeps us going. We thank God because He did it for us.”
Elam, however, said the victory would not lead to complacency, insisting that his players must maintain the same intensity in their final match of the championship.
“We will approach it with the same determination. Since it is going to be our last match, we will ensure that we give the last drop of our sweat opn this court. We will give everything we have,” he said.
The victory gives Nigeria renewed confidence heading into their final classification encounter, having demonstrated the character to recover from a difficult start and fight until the very last point.
Nigeria 3-2 DR Congo
• 1st set: Nigeria 20-25 DR Congo
• 2nd set: Nigeria 22-25 DR Congo
• 3rd set: Nigeria 25-21 DR Congo
• 4th set: Nigeria 25-13 DR Congo
• 5th set: Nigeria 15-13 DR Congo
Nigeria 3-2 DR Congo
