Nigeria Begin Quest for African Volleyball Nations Cup Ticket in Zone 3 Qualifiers
Oru Leonard
Nigeria’s men’s national volleyball team will begin their campaign for a place at the 2026 African Volleyball Nations Cup on Tuesday when they face Niger Republic in the opening match of the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The highly anticipated encounter is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Nigerian time and is expected to be a key fixture as Nigeria seeks a strong start in the qualification tournament.
The Zone 3 Qualifiers have attracted six men’s teams and five women’s teams, all vying for coveted spots at the continental championship.
Action on the opening day begins with Burkina Faso taking on Benin at 1:00 p.m., before Nigeria battles neighbouring Niger Republic. Hosts Côte d’Ivoire will then face Togo in the final men’s match of the day at 5:00 p.m., with the home side expected to enjoy strong crowd support.
In the women’s category, Côte d’Ivoire will open their campaign against Togo at 7:00 p.m., while Benin and Burkina Faso will wrap up the day’s fixtures in a 9:00 p.m. clash.
With qualification for the 2026 African Volleyball Nations Cup at stake, the tournament is expected to showcase some of West Africa’s finest volleyball talents as teams look to make an early statement in the race for continental glory.
Nigeria will be aiming to secure maximum points against Niger Republic to boost their chances of advancing from the fiercely contested Zone 3 qualifiers.
