The Nigerian U19 female beach volleyball team has clinched the 2024 African U19 Girls Beach Volleyball Nations Championship title in Morocco. The dynamic duo of Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa delivered an outstanding performance, defeating the host nation with a decisive 2-0 (21-8, 21-8) victory in the final held at Martil Beach on Thursday, June 27, 2024.
The Nigerians showcased their dominance throughout the tournament, comfortably winning their group stage matches against Congo DR and Morocco Team B, both with 2-0 scores.
Captain Esther Mbah expressed her joy and gratitude following the championship win, which also secured the team a spot at the 2024 FIVB U19 Beach Volleyball World Championship in China, scheduled from August 27th to September 1st. “All glory to God for allowing us to represent the country at the U19 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship. Winning the gold medal for Nigeria after the African Games means a lot to me; we fought hard and got the desired results,” Mbah said. She also thanked the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, led by Engineer Musa Nimrod, for their unwavering support.
The team is already looking ahead to the World Championship, with plans to fine-tune their skills during the annual Beach Tour in Nigeria. Mbah highlighted the importance of continuous improvement and expressed confidence in their coaches’ technical abilities to help the team grow.
Reflecting on their journey, Mbah also addressed the disappointment of missing out on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. “It was a painful defeat in the final of the qualifiers. We led in the first set of the game, but the Egyptians were more experienced, leveled up, and got the sole ticket to the Olympic Games,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s U19 men’s team also had a successful outing, winning a bronze medal at the 2024 African U19 Boys Beach Volleyball Nations Championship in Côte d’Ivoire. The duo of Victor Eze and Ndifreke George defeated Congo 2-0 (21-11, 21-13) in the third-place match, adding to Nigeria’s achievements in the sport.
