Nigeria sweeps men's and women's titles at Zone 3 Beach Volleyball Qualifiers in Badagry

By Maxwell Kumoye

Nigeria emerged as the undisputed champions of the 2026 African Nations Cup Beach Volleyball Zone 3 Qualifiers after clinching both the men's and women's titles at the tournament held in Badagry, Lagos State.

The host nation finished atop the podium in both categories, with Ghana settling for silver in the men's and women's events, while Niger Republic claimed bronze in the men's competition and Côte d'Ivoire secured third place in the women's event.

The men's final provided a thrilling contest between Nigeria and Ghana, with the title decided in a dramatic golden set after both countries split their opening matches.

Nigeria's first pair edged Ghana I 2-1 in a pulsating encounter. After dropping the opening set 20-22, the Nigerian duo rallied to win the second set 21-14 before sealing the decisive third set 15-13.

Ghana responded through its second pair, defeating Nigeria II in straight sets, 21-16, 23-21, to level the overall tie and force a golden set.

With the championship hanging in the balance, Nigeria held its nerve to defeat Ghana 15-13 in the golden set, sparking celebrations among the home supporters as the hosts secured the Zone 3 men's crown.

Earlier, the battle for the men's bronze medal also required a golden set after Benin and Niger Republic shared victories. Benin I defeated Niger Republic I 2-1 (21-13, 18-21, 15-7), but Niger Republic bounced back as its second pair beat Benin II 2-0 (21-15, 21-18). In the deciding golden set, Niger Republic triumphed 15-7 to claim the bronze medal.

In the women's competition, Nigeria completed a clean sweep by winning the gold medal ahead of Ghana, while Ivory Coast finished third to take the bronze medal.

Final Medal Standings

MEN

GOLD: Nigeria

SILVER: Ghana

BRONZE: Niger Republic

WOMEN

GOLD: Nigeria

SILVER: Ghana

BRONZE: Côte d'Ivoire

The impressive performances by the Nigerian teams underline the country's growing dominance in beach volleyball within the West African region and secure valuable momentum ahead of the 2026 African Nations Cup.

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