The Nigeria Men’s Volleyball team came from behind to defeat Algeria in a tie-break after more than two hours of battle, qualifying for the quarterfinals of the 2026 African Men’s Volleyball Nations Championship in Tunisia.
After 2 hours 06 minutes of play, Nigeria totaled 109 points against Algeria’s 101. The five rounds lasted 30, 24, 27, 26, and 19 minutes, respectively.
Nigeria defeated Algeria in a five-set thriller (23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 15-12) in their last group stage match on Thursday, September 17.
The Zone 3 champions started the first set on a high note, taking the lead, but the North African side took over to win 25-23 points.
Nigeria came out strong in the second set, sending Algeria to the cleaners and securing a vital 25-19 points before slumbering in the third set, as it ended in favour of the North African team 25-21 points.
The Sub-Saharan team staged another comeback, taking the fourth set 25-20 points before winning the tie-breaker 15-12 points.
Masajedi Wants To Keep The Momentum
An elated head coach of the Nigeria men’s team, Ryan Masajedi, hailed the resilience of the players during the vital match.
Masajedi explained that Nigeria needed to win the match and avoid struggling in the Round of 16.
He added that the players have proven that winning against Chad was not a fluke and was a result of hard work.
The Japanese coach said: “I am impressed with the way the players picked up after losing the first set. The set was in our hands, but the Algerians were lucky it went in their favour.
“The players have once again shown that they can perform under any circumstances, and they picked up after the first set, and we ended up winning the match.
“We started the tournament playing Chad and the victory against Algeria has cemented us amongst the favourite at the Nations Championship.”
Jaiyeola and Udoka Powers Nigeria Men’s Volleyball Team Over Algeria
However, Nigeria relied on two particularly prolific attackers.
Jaiyeola (#15) scores 28 points, with 26 attacks and 2 blocks. He is followed by Udoka (#4), with 26 points: 20 attacks, 2 counters, and 4 aces.
Between them, Jaiyeola and Udoka brought 54 points to Nigeria.