Volleyball: Nigeria Fight Back From Two Sets Down To Stun DR Congo

Nigeria’s women’s volleyball team produced a stunning comeback on Tuesday, recovering from two sets down to defeat the Democratic Republic of Congo 3-2 in a thrilling 9th-12th classification match at the 2026 African Women’s Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Nigerians looked to be heading for defeat after DR Congo took the opening two sets 25-20 and 25-22 to move within one set of victory.

However, Nigeria mounted a spirited fightback, taking the third set 25-21 before producing their most dominant display of the match in the fourth, cruising to a 25-13 victory to force a decisive fifth set.

With the contest finely poised, Nigeria held their nerve in the decider, edging DR Congo 15-13 to complete a remarkable 3-2 comeback.

The victory underlined Nigeria’s resilience after the team appeared to be in serious trouble following the first two sets.

Head coach Elishama Elam praised his players for refusing to give up and credited their determination for turning the match around.

“I feel so great, and I’m happy to be a Nigerian. We never say die,” Elam said.

The coach also attributed the comeback to the team’s faith and fighting spirit.

“We give God all the glory because, obviously, this is the Nigerian spirit that keeps us going. We thank God because He did it for us,” he added.

Despite the victory, Elam warned his players against complacency, insisting they must maintain the same intensity in their final classification match.

“We will approach it with the same determination. Since it is going to be our last match, we will ensure that we give the last drop of our sweat on this court. We will give everything we have,” he said.

Nigeria 3-2 DR Congo

• 1st set: Nigeria 20-25 DR Congo
• 2nd set: Nigeria 22-25 DR Congo
• 3rd set: Nigeria 25-21 DR Congo
• 4th set: Nigeria 25-13 DR Congo
• 5th set: Nigeria 15-13 DR Congo