Nigeria’s U18 girls’ beach volleyball team announced themselves in emphatic style at the 2025 African Beach Volleyball U18 Development Cup in Banjul, The Gambia, with back-to-back wins over Tunisia and Egypt on Thursday.
The pair of Pamela Bawa and Ifechukwu Odoh opened their campaign with ruthless efficiency, dismantling Tunisia 2-0 (21-10, 21-3) in a one-sided contest. They followed up with an even more significant scalp, overpowering North African powerhouse Egypt in straight sets, 2-0 (21-14, 21-17).
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With two victories from two, Nigeria sit firmly at the top of the log with four points. Egypt are second with three points, while Tunisia trail in third with two.
“We’re not getting carried away”
Head coach John Iwerima praised the composure and discipline shown by his young side but underlined that the mission extends beyond an unbeaten start.
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“I’m proud of the way the girls have started the tournament. The players have shown great discipline and composure on the court, but we’re not getting carried away. There’s still a lot of work to do,” Iwerima said.
He reminded the players and supporters that this tournament doubles as a qualifier for the 2026 African Youth Olympic Games in Senegal and that is the ultimate prize.
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“Our main target is to win the trophy in both the boys’ and girls’ categories. This tournament serves as a qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games, and we are fully focused on achieving that objective.
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“The players understand what is at stake. We came to Gambia prepared, and we will keep pushing until the job is done.”
[Credit: CAVB Media]
Bigger than victories
Nigeria’s dominance so far sends a strong signal to the rest of the field. For Bawa and Odoh, each win is not just about group standings, but about pushing Nigerian beach volleyball onto the continental stage and ensuring the country’s presence in Dakar next year.
The unbeaten run is a statement. The mission, as coach Iwerima insists, is far from over.
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