Rwanda Volleyball U-21 Team on Thursday defeated their Nigerian counterpart U-by 3-0 at the ongoing 2018 Under-21 Boys Africa Volleyball Nations Cup in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rwanda dominated the Nigerians from start to finish as both teams played their second match.
Rwanda won the three straight set at 25-21, 25-18, and 25-23.
Rwanda had lost their first game to Tunisia 3-0 while Nigeria won their first match, defeating Cameroon 3-2.
Speaking after the game, Rwanda National Team Coach Paul Bitok congratulated his team adding that the boys played a good game.
”I will like to congratulate my players; they played very well, we planned for Nigeria, knowing that it is a great team.
” I told my players to move from the beginning to the end and they achieved that because if you give them a time to relax, we will be in trouble,” he said.
Elishama Elam, Head Coach of Nigeria said the squad played well but did not play as a team.
”We never expected such result, knowing that the first set in volleyball is very important.
”We were leading with three points, if we had consolidated on those three points, this will not have happened.
”The game was a good one but my boys were not playing for each other. Everybody wanted to be a star.
”We are going to strategise and make sure that the boys play for each other for the match tomorrow,” he said.
Elam said that Nigeria’s match with Tunisia was a must-win to keep them in the championship.
”We need to beat Tunisia 3-0 or 3-1 to proceed to the next level. If we lose to Tunisia, then we are out but if we win, there is hope,” he said.
NAN reports that the championship continues on Friday with four matches as Rwanda meets Cameroon in the first match while Egypt encounters Morocco and Congo faces Chad.
