Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) women’s volleyball team is intensifying preparations for the upcoming African Women’s Volleyball Club Championship, scheduled from April 1 to 14, 2025, at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Package B, in Abuja.
Training Tour in Benin Republic
In a bid to fine-tune their skills ahead of the championship, the team embarked on a 10-day training tour to the Benin Republic. Departing on March 20, the tour provided the players with invaluable exposure to international competition, facing teams from Benin Republic, Ghana, and Togo.
Samuel Onikeku, the Sports Secretary of the Nigeria Customs Service, expressed gratitude for the support received, stating,
“I want to appreciate the Comptroller General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi MFR, and his management team for approving this training tour.”
He further highlighted the significance of the tour in assessing the team’s preparedness, noting,
“This tour will provide them with an opportunity to compete against teams outside the country.”
Comptroller General’s Optimism
Back home, Comptroller General Adewale Adeniyi MFR expressed confidence in the team’s prospects. Reflecting on their previous performance, where they narrowly missed a podium finish in 2021, Adeniyi stated,
“If you can all recall, we finished fourth place at the 2021 African Club Championship narrowly losing out in the third place match.”
He remains optimistic about surpassing that record, saying,
“With the motivation given to the team, I am optimistic they’ll surpass their previous records and make the country proud.”
Hosting Responsibilities and Expectations
As the host nation, Nigeria carries the dual responsibility of organizing the event and performing at a high level. Adeniyi acknowledged this dual role, emphasizing,
“We are trying to put our team in good condition; they just returned from a training tour, which served as tune-up matches, the team did excellently well recording win in all their matches.” He concluded with a resolute statement, “Nigeria is hosting to win.”
Anticipation Builds for the Championship
The upcoming championship is generating significant excitement, as it brings together some of the continent’s best women’s volleyball teams. The Nigeria Customs Service team’s rigorous preparations and the support from both the NCS leadership and the Federal Government underscore the nation’s commitment to excelling on the continental stage.
