Nigeria hits final, beats Cameroun 3-1

• Nimrod urges team to retain title in Morocco
The country’s U-19 boys volleyball team, yesterday, defeated their Camerounian counterparts 3-1 in the semi-finals of the ongoing volleyball championship holding in Morocco.

The match played at El Jadida saw the Nigerian team put up a brilliant display against Cameroun, winning in four sets (18-25, 25-21, 28-26, 25-16).

Nigeria lost the first set to Cameroun by 18-25 points, forcing coach Adekalu Adeniyi to make some quick changes.

In the second set, Cameroun led in the early set by 18-12 before the Eagles turned the game around to win the set, 25-21. The third set was very tight, as both teams battled furiously to win it, as they knew it would decide the outcome of the match.

Both countries led at different points during the set before Nigeria took the set at the death by 28-26 points. The fourth set was a stroll in the park for the Eagles, as they won it, 25-16.

Speaking after the match, Adeniyi said he was overwhelmed with the performance of the players and the ability to interpret the tactics given to them in a short period. “Cameroun took us by surprise in the first set and I was wondering if this is not the same team I watched few days ago. We had to regroup in the remaining sets and you can see the results of our tactical changes. The next challenge is to return the U-19 trophy to Nigeria and compliment the efforts of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF),” he said.

Nigeria becomes the first sub-Saharan African team to enter a back-to-back final in the U-19 African Nations Volleyball Championship.

Meanwhile, NVBF President, Musa Nimrod, has urged the team to retain the title it won last year. Nimrod said the team is making the country proud.

“We will continue to encourage them to put in their best in the final so that they will return home with the trophy again,” he said.

He also commended the U-19 girls volleyball team, which finished third in the female version. He said they spent just four months in camp before the championship, adding that they will do better by the next competition.

The 2022 U-19 Men’s African Nations Volleyball Championship, which started on September 1 ends on September 12.