Mbah, Bawa Return to Nigeria After Historic Olympic Beach Volleyball Qualification

Posted : 25 August 2026

Nigeria’s beach volleyball champions, Esther Onyinye Mbah and Pamela Miyoum Bawa, have returned home after making history by qualifying the country for the beach volleyball event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The pair received a welcome from officials of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation and the National Sports Commission following their historic achievement in Egypt.

Mbah and Bawa secured the Olympic quota after winning the women’s title at the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria. They defeated Morocco’s Alexandra Erhart and Nora Nezha Jihane Darrhar 2-0, winning the final 21-18, 21-11.

The victory also gave the Nigerian duo their first African senior title as a partnership. They had entered the tournament as the fourth seeds and showed strong resilience after suffering a group-stage defeat to Morocco earlier in the competition.

Nigeria’s route to the final included a significant victory over hosts Egypt. Mbah and Bawa defeated former African champions Marwa Abdelhady and Doaa Elghobashy 2-0 in the round of 16, winning 21-17, 21-16. They then overcame Mozambique’s Vanessa Muianga and Ana Paula Sinaportar in straight sets in the semi-final.

The Olympic qualification represents a major milestone for Nigerian volleyball. According to FIVB, Mbah and Bawa became the first Nigerian beach volleyball pair to qualify for the Olympic Games, while their success also confirmed Nigeria as one of Africa’s representatives at LA28.

The achievement is particularly significant for Bawa and Mbah after they won bronze at the 2025 African Championship. Their progress continued in Alexandria, where they defeated some of the continent’s leading pairs before producing their best performance in the final.

The pair also have previous continental experience. Mbah and Bawa represented Nigeria at the African Games in Ghana, while their partnership has developed into one of the country’s leading beach volleyball combinations. Their 2026 title now adds an Olympic qualification to their growing list of achievements.

The National Sports Commission described the triumph as a landmark moment for Nigerian beach volleyball and congratulated the players, coaches, officials and wider volleyball community. The qualification has also increased expectations around the pair as Nigeria prepares for its first Olympic appearance in beach volleyball.

Mbah and Bawa will now have the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in beach volleyball when the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games take place. Their qualification gives Nigeria a new chapter in Olympic volleyball history and provides a platform for the country’s beach volleyball programme to build on its continental success.

Mbah, Bawa Return to Nigeria After Historic Olympic Beach Volleyball Qualification

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