Nigeria Make History as Mbah, Bawa Secure Beach Volleyball Ticket to LA 2028

Posted : 24 August 2026

Nigeria have secured a historic place in the beach volleyball competition at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games after Esther Onyinye Mbah and Pamela Miyoum Bawa won the 2026 African Beach Volleyball Championship in Alexandria, Egypt. The Nigerian pair defeated Morocco 2-0 in the women’s final to claim Africa’s Olympic quota place.

Mbah and Bawa produced a composed performance at Abu Heif Beach on Saturday, winning the opening set 21-18 before taking the second 21-10. The victory gave Nigeria its first-ever qualification for an Olympic volleyball event and completed a significant rise for the young pair on the African scene.

The result was also a response to an earlier setback against Morocco during the championship. Nigeria had lost to the North Africans in the group stage, but recovered strongly in the knockout rounds before meeting the same opponents again in the final.

Mbah and Bawa had already shown their potential before their historic triumph in Alexandria. They won the African U19 title in 2024 and claimed bronze at the senior African Championship in Morocco in 2025, establishing themselves among the leading women's pairs on the continent.

Their route to the final included a straight-set victory over Egypt in the quarter-finals and another 2-0 win against Mozambique in the semi-finals. The Nigerians then produced their strongest performance of the tournament when the Olympic ticket was at stake.

Nigeria Olympic Committee President Habu Gumel described the achievement as a major moment for Nigerian sport and praised the players for their effort. National Sports Commission Director-General Bukola Olopade also congratulated the Nigeria Volleyball Federation and the athletes, saying the qualification reflected recent development efforts in the sport.

The qualification also ends Nigeria's wait to return to Olympic beach volleyball. The country previously came close during the Tokyo 2020 qualification cycle, when Mbah and Bawa lost the African final-phase tie to Egypt in Morocco.

The 2028 Olympic Games will therefore mark Nigeria's debut in Olympic beach volleyball. Mbah and Bawa will now have almost two years to prepare for the global competition, where they will carry Nigeria's hopes after becoming African champions and securing a landmark place in the country's Olympic volleyball history.

Nigeria Make History as Mbah, Bawa Secure Beach Volleyball Ticket to LA 2028

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