Mbah, Bawa Make History As Nigeria Qualifies For Olympic Beach Volleyball

Nigeria’s Esther Mbah and Pamela Bawa have secured the country’s first-ever Olympic qualification in beach volleyball after defeating Morocco 2-0 in the women’s final of the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Nations Championship in Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday.

The victory earned the duo Africa’s only ticket to the beach volleyball event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, congratulated the pair and praised their partnership with the Nigeria Volleyball Federation for achieving the historic feat.

Olopade described Mbah and Bawa as potential Olympic podium finishers, saying the rapid growth of volleyball and beach volleyball in Nigeria is beginning to yield results.

The qualification marks a major milestone for Nigerian sports and gives the country its maiden appearance in the Olympic beach volleyball competition.