Head coach of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Women’s Volleyball Club, Suleiman Ajeigbe, has expressed optimism that his team will improve in the next stage of the African Women’s Volleyball Club Championship, currently taking place at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, reports Completesports.com.
Hosts, Nigeria Customs Service Women’s Volleyball Team, are set to face a tough challenge from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Volleyball Club in the knockout phase.
The Customs ladies advanced to this stage of the tournament with a convincing win in their opening match, thrashing Mayo Kane Evolution (MKE) of Cameroon 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22). However, they lost their last two games to Carthage of Tunisia and APR of Rwanda. KCB, on the other hand, won their first two games but narrowly lost 3-2 to Al Ahly of Egypt in their final group match.
“We lost those two matches because we didn’t get our acts together, but I can assure you that we will do better in this stage of the competition. We have been working on the errors we made in the matches against the Rwandan and Egyptian sides,” Ajeigbe stated.
“Hopefully, the girls will perform better in this round and give Nigerians something to cheer. We have seen the Kenyan side play and we know what to do to ensure that we secure victory.
“Despite the two losses, the team is highly motivated by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, BA Adeniyi, and the only way to repay the support and encouragement is to win and progress to the next stage.”
In other Round of 16 fixtures, Club Omnisports Descartes of Côte d’Ivoire will test the might of reigning champions Zamalek of Egypt, while Armée Patriotique Rwanda (APR) will square off against La Loi of DR Congo.
Elsewhere, Carthage of Tunisia will face Senegal’s Sococim, and Al Ahly will take on Mayo Kane Evolution of Cameroon.
Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) will go head-to-head with Spikers and Spiking Stars (SSV) of Botswana, while Kenya Prisons tackle Police Rwanda.
The Round of 16 fixtures for the 2025 CAVB Women’s African Volleyball Club Championship commence on Tuesday, 8 April, at the indoor sports halls of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
