Nigeria win 2026 African U18 Beach Volleyball Development Cup 2-0

Nigeria’s female team won the 2026 African U18 Beach Volleyball Development Cup with a 2-0 victory over Senegal Team-A in Dakar on Thursday. Joy Lawrence and Ifechukwu Odoh sealed the title by taking the two sets 21-8 and 21-10 against the hosts.

The result prompted Nigeria Volleyball Federation president Engineer Musa Nimrod to describe the country’s prospects in beach volleyball as promising. He said the success of the young pair showed the potential available in Nigeria’s age-grade programme.

Lawrence and Odoh established control early in the opening set, limiting Senegal’s response as they moved to a 21-8 lead. The Nigerians maintained that advantage in the second set and completed the championship victory with a 21-10 win.

Coach John Iwerima provided the tactical guidance for the Nigerian pair during the competition. Nimrod credited the players and coaching team for their performance after they overcame the home side in the final.

The NVBF president said youth competitions would remain central to the federation’s development plans. He identified continued investment in under-age events and age-grade competitions as a priority for building the next generation of Nigerian players.

Nimrod also linked the U18 success to the future of the senior women’s team. In his view, creating stronger pathways through junior competitions can help Nigeria develop a more competitive senior side in beach volleyball. The Dakar triumph therefore gives the federation a fresh achievement to build on as it continues its focus on youth development.