By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria’s men’s volleyball head coach, Taiwo Oladipupo, has expressed confidence that the team can secure a podium finish at the 2026 African Nations Cup in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, if given adequate preparation.
Oladipupo spoke after Nigeria booked its place at the continental championship through the CAVB Zone 3 qualifiers in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, saying the team’s performances at the tournament have strengthened his belief that the players can compete with Africa’s top volleyball nations.
The coach stressed that quality preparation, including international friendly matches and a training tour, would be crucial to Nigeria’s medal ambitions at the championship scheduled for September.
“With good preparation, I believe we are set to finish on the podium, and that is why I am optimistic that we will make Nigeria proud,” Oladipupo said.
He described the Zone 3 qualifiers as highly competitive, noting that every participating country arrived in Abidjan with the determination to win.
“Everyone here came with one target—to win. No team came to merely participate. Every country brought its best, but at the end of the day, only the best emerged, and that is what we are working hard to achieve,” he said.
Oladipupo also appealed to the Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Zone 3 for continued support as the team intensified preparations for the continental championship.
He called for more international exposure through friendly matches and a training tour, saying such opportunities would significantly improve the team’s performance ahead of the tournament.
Nigeria will now shift focus to the African Nations Cup in Kinshasa, where the team will aim not only for a podium finish but also to boost its chances of qualifying for the volleyball event at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria and Ghana will represent CAVB Zone 3 in the men’s competition, while Nigeria, Ghana and Burkina Faso will fly the zone’s flag at the Women’s African Nations Cup in Kenya in August.
Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF), Engineer Musa Nimrod, disclosed that the men’s national team will resume camping next month as preparations begin for the African Nations Cup finals.
