Z-PRO MEDIA

  By Maxwell Kumoye     Nigeria's men's volleyball team completed an unbeaten campaign at the Zone 3 Qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, with a commanding straight-sets victory over Burkina Faso. The Nigerians wrapped up the final match 3-0, winning 25-17, 25-23 and 25-22 to cap a flawless tournament performance. The team was in imperious form throughout the qualifiers, recording victories over Niger Republic, hosts Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin Republic and Burkina Faso.  Nigeria dropped only three sets across all five matches, underlining their dominance in the regional competition. Their impressive run earned them one of the qualification tickets to the 2026 African Nations Cup finals scheduled for September in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the continental championship, Nigeria will battle Africa's best teams for the coveted Nations Cup title and a place at the 2028 Olympic Games. The commanding display in Abidjan highlights Nigeria's gr...

By Maxwell Kumoye      Nigeria's men's volleyball team continued its impressive campaign at the 2026 African Nations Cup Zone 3 Qualifiers with a commanding 3-0 victory over hosts Côte d'Ivoire on Wednesday, securing their second consecutive win of the tournament. The Nigerians produced a disciplined and dominant performance to silence the home crowd, claiming the match in straight sets, 25-16, 25-20, 25-19. The victory keeps Nigeria's unbeaten run intact and further strengthens the team's quest for qualification. Head coach Taiwo Oladipupo praised his players for their composure and determination against the host nation, describing the result as a significant achievement. "I'm very, very happy. Beating the host nation is never an easy task, especially in front of their home fans. But we showed that we are capable of doing it, and we proved it on the court with a convincing victory," Oladipupo said. The coach also attributed the team's impressive s...

By Maxwell Kumoye and Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye     Nigeria's men's volleyball team made a winning start to their campaign at the 2026 African Nations Cup Zone 3 Qualifiers, hitting Niger Republic 3-1 on Tuesday. Nigeria claimed the opening set 25-22 before Niger Republic fought back to level the contest with a 25-19 victory in the second set.  Coach Taiwo Oladipupo's side, however, showed resilience to regain control, edging the third set 25-23 before producing a dominant display in the fourth set to seal the match 25-9. Reacting to the victory, head coach Taiwo Oladipupo expressed delight with his team's performance while praising the players for their response after dropping the second set. "First of all, I thank Almighty God for giving us our first win of the tournament. I'm very happy with the result. The boys lost the second set, but they responded brilliantly by winning the third and fourth sets," Oladipupo said. The coach acknowledged that ...

By Maxwell Kumoye    The Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) has invited 44 of the country's brightest young volleyball talents to national camp as preparations gather momentum for the 2026 African Junior Volleyball Championships in Egypt. The federation named a 22-player squad each for the U-19 Girls and U-18 Boys teams, with the players drawn from clubs competing in the Nigeria Premier Volleyball League, National Division One League and National Division Two League. The national camping exercise will commence on Friday, July 10, at the High Performance Centre, where both teams will begin intensive preparations for the continental showpiece. The federation expressed confidence in the quality of the selected players, noting that they arrive in camp in excellent competitive shape after participating in the recently concluded first phase of the 2026 National Volleyball League. Beyond competing for continental honours, the NVBF believes both teams possess the quality required to...

...As Ali Yaro backs strong preparation for Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire  By Maxwell Kumoye President of CAVB Zone 3, Ali Yaro, has praised the Nigeria Volleyball Federation for successfully hosting the African Nations Cup Beach Volleyball Zone 3 Qualifiers, describing the tournament as a crucial platform for the development of the sport in West Africa. Speaking during the competition, Yaro commended the federation's leadership and officials for delivering a successful championship, stressing that while Nigeria had already secured qualification for the African Nations Beach Volleyball Championship, the tournament provided other countries with a valuable opportunity to compete and prepare for the continental showpiece. He noted that staging the event in Badagry proved to be a wise decision, saying the city's location made travel easier for neighbouring countries and contributed to the impressive turnout of participating teams. Yaro expressed delight with the presence of six nat...

By Maxwell Kumoye    Nigeria have named a 20-man squad for the 2026 CAVB Africa Nations Cup Qualifiers, with the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) banking on a blend of experienced campaigners and emerging stars to secure a return to continental prominence. The team will begin preparations in Abuja ahead of the qualifying tournament, which will take place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from July 13 to 23. The squad was selected following the first phase of the 2026 National Premier Volleyball League and an extensive scouting programme by the national coaching crew. The list also includes foreign-based professionals expected to strengthen the team's qualification bid. Head coach Oladipupo Taiwo Gabriel will lead the technical crew, assisted by Tswevini Yohanna and Jonah Adamu. Among those invited are setters Bruno Ibeh, Adeniyi Favour and Elisha Anebi, while the outside hitters include Jaiyeola Abdulquadri, Lucky Palmer, Ogunshina Obayemi, Izuchukwu Oforah, Emmanuel Udah and Anach...

...Pledges greater investment in sports By Maxwell Kumoye   Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has reaffirmed his commitment to sports development within the Nigeria Police Force, pledging increased investment in volleyball and other sporting disciplines. Disu made the pledge while attending the final day of the first phase of the 3rd CGC Volleyball Premier League in Abuja on Saturday. Impressed by the performance of Police Machine in their victory over Sunshine Spikers, the IGP commended the players for their determination, resilience and fighting spirit despite operating with limited training resources. "You have seen the tenacity of a policeman in action. I am so happy to have been here today, and they have made me so happy," Disu said. "They have done so well. How else can I honour them? By owning the sport and sponsoring it. Definitely, we will do something like this, not only for volleyball but for judo and every other sport." The police chief stresse...

By Maxwell Kumoye  The first phase of the 3rd Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Volleyball Premier League came to an exciting conclusion in Abuja on Saturday, with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) emerging as the team to beat in both the men's and women's categories. In the men's category, NCS capped an unbeaten campaign with a commanding 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-20) victory over closest challengers COAS Spikers on the final day to finish top of the standings with 36 points from 12 matches.  The defending champions won all their matches, dropping just two sets throughout the first phase. COAS Spikers finished second on 29 points despite the defeat, while CNS Spikers secured third place with 28 points after defeating Offa VC 3-0 (25-23, 25-12, 25-12). NSCDC ended fourth following a straight-sets victory over UCEM, while Nigeria Correctional Service defeated Defence Spikers 3-1.  Nigeria Police Force also recorded a convincing 3-0 win over Sunshine Spikers, and Life Camp V...

By Maxwell Kumoye      The first phase of the third edition of the CGC Volleyball Premier League comes to a close on Saturday in Abuja after an action-packed Day 12 produced a series of commanding victories and a handful of thrilling encounters across the men's and women's competitions. Several title contenders maintained their impressive form heading into the final day, with dominant straight-set victories highlighting the quality on display throughout the championship. In the women's category, NSCDC continued their fine run with a comfortable 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-14) victory over Benue Queens, while CNS Spikers brushed aside Lifecamp VC in equally convincing fashion, winning 25-14, 25-18, 25-12. NAF Rockets also secured maximum points after defeating Anambra Queens 3-0, although they were made to work in the opening set before sealing the contest 25-23, 25-17, 25-17. COAS Spikers produced one of the day's most dominant performances, overwhelming Olalomi R...