CAVB Zone 3 President hails successful Côte d'Ivoire's historic hosting

...Confirms Nigeria and Ghana double qualification, Burkina Faso also gets a slot

By Maxwell Kumoye

President of the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone 3, Ali Yaro, has praised the successful staging of the 2026 African Nations Cup Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

The Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone 3 Boss described the tournament as a major milestone for volleyball development in the region.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Yaro commended Côte d'Ivoire for successfully hosting the regional championship for the first time, saying it marked a positive step forward despite the challenges many countries face in organising international sporting events.

"This is the first time Côte d'Ivoire has hosted an event like this, and it is a very positive development for the competition," Yaro said.

"In our countries, we do not always have enough support to organise competitions like this. Therefore, I want to sincerely thank everyone who made it possible."

The five-day championship featured seven participating nations and showcased a high standard of volleyball, with Yaro applauding the efforts of the national federations, officials and organisers for delivering a memorable tournament.

He confirmed that Nigeria secured qualification for the 2026 African Nations Championship finals in the Democratic Republic of Congo this September after an impressive campaign in the men's competition.

The CAVB Zone 3 President also announced that Nigeria's women's team earned qualification for the African Nations Cup finals in Kenya this August.

PpBurkina Faso and Ghana also booked their places after finishing among the top teams in the women's event.

Yaro concluded by expressing appreciation to the organising committee, media, match officials, volunteers and every stakeholder whose contributions Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone 3 the success of the championship.

He noted that the tournament demonstrated the growing strength of volleyball in the Zone 3 region and expressed optimism that the participating nations would make a strong impact at the continental championships later this year.

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