The Nigeria under-17 female volleyball team experienced a challenging start to the 2023 Girl’s U17 African Nations Volleyball tournament, losing 3-0 against their Egyptian counterparts. The match, held at Abuja’s Moshood Abiola Stadium, saw the Nigerian team narrowly lose quarters by 24-26, 18-25, and 15-25 respectively.
Coach Sunday Akapson reflected on the match, acknowledging the team’s effort while recognising the need to refocus for the upcoming games against Cameroon. “We need to go back to the drawing board and plan our next game against Cameroon. These girls lost the game because they were not concentrating. These are young players we are building for the future, and I believe they will do well in their next match.”
Egypt’s coach, Mamr Makhlouif, emphasised their goal to excel, aiming for representation at the Under-17 World Cup. “We want to represent Africa at the Under-17 World Cup, and we are here to achieve that purpose. We are going to win our next match against Cameroon on Sunday; we just have to encourage the girls to put more effort into their next game.”
