Nigeria pick four overseas players for 2026 African Volleyball Championship

Nigeria have named 22 invitees for the 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Nations Championship, with four players based outside the country included in the squad. Arinze Nwachukwu, Vincent Mathias, Pascal Okoye and Izuchukwu Oforah are the overseas selections among 18 players drawn from the domestic league.

The championship will take place in Tunis from September 13 to 27. It was initially scheduled to be hosted by the Democratic Republic of Congo before Tunisia was confirmed as the new venue.

Japan’s Ryan Masajedi will lead the men’s team, assisted by Taiwo Oladipupo, Tswevini Yohanna and Jonah Adamu. The squad’s preparations are due to begin in Abuja on Saturday, following the departure of Nigeria’s women’s team for the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Kenya.

The invitation list contains four setters, five middle blockers, six outside hitters, four opposites and three liberos. Bruno Ibeh, Favour Adeniyi, Elisha Anebi and Emmanuel Oko are the setters, while Timothy Anele, Pascal Okoye, Jubril Mora, Kazeem Mutiu and Ferdinand Army cover the middle-blocker positions.

Abednego Hassan, Ismail Tiamiyu and Precious Peter are the three liberos. The outside hitters are Abdulquadri Jaiyeola, Obayemi Ogunshina, Izuchukwu Oforah, Emmanuel Udah, Chukwuemeka Anachuna and Lucky Faruk.

Mathias, Armstrong Eozofor, Nwachukwu and Ebuka Okonkwo complete the opposites group. The federation’s technical committee chairman, Prince Tunde Omisore, said Masajedi’s experience would help guide the team during its campaign in Tunis.