Nigeria women’s team clinched the silver medal in a thrilling showdown at the 2023 CAVB U21 Beach Volleyball Championship in Morocco. Hosts Morocco emerged victorious in a closely contested match, winning 2-1 (13-21, 21-15, 18-16) at the Casablanca beach resort.

Nigeria kicked off the first set impressively, securing a 21-13 victory in under 20 minutes of play. However, Morocco rallied in the second set with the support of their passionate fans.

The third set saw Morocco lead until the 14th point, but Nigeria fought back to level the score at 14-14. Nigeria briefly took the lead at 16-15, but Morocco rallied again, securing three crucial points to claim the championship in the women’s category.

Despite falling short of the title, Nigeria’s head coach, John Iwerima, praised his players and their performance throughout the tournament. He expressed optimism for the future, suggesting that retaining the pair could lead to world dominance in beach volleyball.

“I’m so proud of the girls, to come in and play like we did tonight, not only against the Moroccans but the crowd. We had every opportunity to get it done. Unfortunately, we couldn’t quite get it done. We had chances of snatching the victory in the third set, but it eventually went the way of the host country.

“The mentality of the team throughout the championship is incredible. The girls fought throughout the championship, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to lead these players to the championship. The chemistry together is unbelievable. As long as we have that, we can beat anybody in the near future.” Coach Iwerima stated.

Musa Nimrod, the President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, commended the women’s beach volleyball team for their impressive performance, highlighting their tenacity and determination during the final match. He expressed confidence in their potential to excel at the African Beach Volleyball Championship.

He said, “I said earlier that the girls have all it takes to stand out at the African Beach Volleyball Championship. Indeed, their performance against the Moroccans confirmed this.

“Our girls flew the flag of Nigeria beautifully high with their sterling performance against all their opponents. They put up a good fight in the final and they are worth every celebration.”

Nigeria’s men’s beach volleyball team secured a fifth-place finish at the same championship. The men’s and women’s teams have qualified for the 2023 FIVB U21 World Beach Volleyball Championship in Thailand this November, where they will aim to make their mark on the international stage.