Nigeria’s women’s volleyball team staged a remarkable comeback to defeat the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 in their 9th-12th classification match at the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, with head coach Elishama Elam hailing the team’s never-say-die spirit, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Nigerians appeared headed for defeat after losing the opening two sets 25-20, 25-22, but fought back to win the third 25-21 before levelling the contest with a dominant 25-13 victory in the fourth set.
Nigeria then held their nerve in a tense decider, edging DR Congo 15-13 to complete the comeback.
Reacting to the victory, Elam expressed his delight with his players’ resilience, insisting that the result reflected the character of the Nigerian team.
“I feel so great, and I’m happy to be a Nigerian. We never say die,” Elam said.
The coach also attributed the turnaround to determination and faith, giving credit to God for helping his side overcome the difficult start.
“We give God all the glory because, obviously, this is the Nigerian spirit that keeps us going. We thank God because He did it for us,” he said.
Despite the victory, Elam warned his players against complacency as they prepare for their final classification match of the championship.
“We will approach it with the same determination. Since it is going to be our last match, we will ensure that we give the last drop of our sweat on this court. We will give everything we have,” he said.
The victory gives Nigeria a confidence boost ahead of their final game of the championship after they showed the resilience to recover from two sets down and secure a 3-2 victory.
Source: punchng.com
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