In the inaugural match of the 2023 Girl’s U17 African Nations Volleyball Championship, Nigeria faced a challenging encounter against Egypt, ultimately losing 0-3 (24-26, 18-25, 15-25). The championship is being held at the indoor sports hall of Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
The Nigerian U17 Girls team exhibited resilience in the first set, putting up a strong fight against their Egyptian counterparts.
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Leading by 24-23 points, the Nigerian team seemed poised for success, but a tactical time-out by the Egyptian technical crew altered the course of the game. Egypt levelled the set at 24-24, secured the next two crucial points, and ultimately won the set 26-24.
The Egyptian team carried this momentum into the second and third sets, dominating with scores of 25-18 and 25-15, respectively.
Reflecting on the match, Sunday Akapson, the head coach of Nigeria U17 Girls, acknowledged that the players gave their best effort.
The coach, a 2003 All-African Games silver medalist, noted that the team lost concentration during a critical period in the first set.
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Akapson emphasized the developmental nature of the team, stating, “We need to re-strategize and plan for our next game against Cameroon. These are young players we are building for future purposes, and I believe they will do well in their next match.”
Egypt’s U17 Girls coach, Mamr Makhlouif, expressed confidence in his team’s quest for victory, stating they aim to represent Africa at the U17 World Championship.
Makhlouif, who considers Nigeria his second home, emphasized Egypt’s determination to secure a win against Cameroon in their upcoming match.
He said, “We want to represent Africa at the U17 World Championship and we are in Nigeria to achieve that purpose.
“We are going to win our next match against Cameroon on Sunday, we just have to encourage the girls to put more effort into their next game,”
Egypt is scheduled to face Cameroon on Sunday, while Nigeria will compete against Cameroon on Monday in the ongoing U17 African Nations Volleyball Championship.
