Nigeria has firmly re-established itself as a regional beach volleyball powerhouse after sweeping both the men’s and women’s titles at the 2026 African Nations Cup Zone 3 Qualifiers.
Competing before an electric home crowd in Lagos, the host nation put on a masterclass performance to secure gold across both categories.
West African rivals Ghana put up a fierce fight to finish as runners-up in both events, while Niger Republic and Côte d’Ivoire claimed the men’s and women’s bronze medals, respectively.
The men’s final between Nigeria and Ghana proved to be an absolute thriller, pushing both nations to their limits and requiring a dramatic “golden set” to decide the champion.
Nigeria’s opening pair sparked the momentum by staging a brilliant comeback against Ghana I, bouncing back from a first-set loss to win 2-1 (20-22, 21-14, 15-13).
Although Ghana fought back instantly as their second pair defeated Nigeria II in straight sets (21-16, 23-21) to level the contest, the Nigerian squad held their nerve under immense pressure, sealing a hard-fought 15-13 victory in the ultimate golden set to ignite ecstatic celebrations in the stands.
The victory capped off a flawlessly dominant campaign for the hosts, as the Nigerian women’s team also mirrored the men’s success to capture the gold medal in their division.
Ghana settled for a commendable silver after battling hard throughout the tournament, while Côte d’Ivoire rounded out the podium to take home the bronze.
Earlier in the men’s classification, Niger Republic also endured a grueling golden-set decider against Benin, ultimately dominating the final set 15-7 to walk away with a well-deserved bronze medal.
