Kenya end Nigeria’s title dream, Elam targets top-10 finish

VKenya end Nigeria’s title dream, Elam targets top-10 finish

Host and defending champions Kenya ended Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the 2026 CAVB Women’s Africa Nations Championship with a 3-0 victory in their Round of 16 clash.

Kenya, backed by home support, produced a dominant display to overcome Nigeria 25-21, 25-17, 25-15 and advance into the last eight of the continental championship.

Nigeria, however, refused to go down without a fight, particularly in the opening set, where the West Africans pushed the defending champions before Kenya eventually prevailed 25-21.

The hosts then stepped up their intensity in the second set, winning 25-17, before completing a straight-set victory with a 25-15 triumph in the third.

Despite the disappointing result, Nigeria head coach Elishama Elam commended his young team for standing up to the defending champions and making Kenya work for the victory.

“We gave a good fight. They really played what they deserved. We gave the Kenyans a run for their money. It was not just a pushover match. It was a good fight,” Elam said.

The coach said the experience would prove valuable to a Nigerian side undergoing a rebuilding process, insisting that future meetings with Kenya could produce a different outcome.

“Being a young team that we are trying to build, by the next time we meet, I think the story will not be like this,” he said.

Elam identified Nigeria’s service errors as one of the key factors that denied his side the opportunity to make the opening set even more competitive.

“If you look at the first set that we lost to the Kenyans 25-21, there were eight service errors. If we had converted only four of them, you can see that the scoreline would have been different,” he explained.

With Nigeria eliminated from the championship race, Elam has now set his sights on finishing the competition strongly through the classification matches.

“We are going to prepare for the classification match now. We hope to finish in the ninth or 10th position, by the special grace of God,” the coach said.

Meanwhile, Algeria also secured a quarter-final berth after sweeping Senegal 3-0, winning 25-15, 25-17 and 25-16.

Uganda joined the last eight after recording another straight-set victory, defeating DR Congo 25-16, 27-25, 25-18.

Four more Round of 16 matches will be decided on Sunday.

Rwanda will face Burkina Faso, Zambia will battle Ghana, while Egypt will take on Burundi. Tunisia and Mali will then conclude the day's Round of 16 programme.

While Kenya's march towards another continental crown continues, Nigeria must now regroup quickly for the classification phase, with Elam hoping his youthful squad can end the tournament on a positive note.