Ghana’s Black Spikers have returned home after a spirited campaign at the 2026 Confederation of African Volleyball (CAVB) Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, where they secured an impressive seventh-place finish.
The team arrived at the Accra International Airport on Saturday, September 5, to a warm welcome from officials of the Ghana Volleyball Federation, led by President George Tetteh, Esq., alongside Greater Accra Volleyball Association Chairman Alfred Offei Awuku Akuffo and other executives.
The Black Spikers endured a difficult start to the championship, suffering defeats to Cameroon and Nigeria in their opening group matches.
However, the Ghanaian side responded strongly, producing one of the standout moments of their campaign with a victory over Tunisia before defeating Zambia 3–1 to secure a place in the quarter-finals. CAVB also reported Ghana’s five-set victory over Tunisia and its 3–1 win over Zambia as key moments in the team’s campaign.
Ghana’s run came to an end at the quarter-final stage following a defeat to Rwanda, sending the team into the classification matches.
The Black Spikers subsequently lost to Tunisia in the placement encounter before bouncing back to beat Uganda and finish seventh overall.
Speaking at the airport, Ghana Volleyball Federation President George Tetteh praised the team’s resilience and believes the experience will be important for the development of the young squad.
“We are proud of the team for their fighting spirit and the progress they showed on the African stage. We were eliminated at the quarter-final stage, and the remaining matches were for placement. Finishing seventh has also secured our qualification for the next African championship, meaning we will not have to go through the qualification process.”
Mr. Tetteh said the tournament provided invaluable exposure for a relatively young Ghanaian team competing against some of Africa’s established volleyball nations. “These are young ladies and this was their first time going into such a competition and meeting countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, and Tunisia. The pressure will grow, but we will continue to put them together and give them more exposure.”
He was particularly pleased with Ghana’s historic victory over Tunisia, describing it as a major statement for the team. “For instance, we were able to beat Tunisia, which is a giant team on the continent, and that has never been done in our part of the world. But we were able to beat them. That shows that with the right preparation and exposure, these girls can go far.”
The GVF President also promised continued investment in the team as Ghana looks to build on the experience gained in Nairobi. “We have learned a lot from this tournament. We will continue to work with them, expose them to more competitions and prepare them better so that the next time we get the opportunity, we can go beyond the quarter-final stage.”
Captain Ajara Abubakari also reflected positively on the team’s campaign, admitting that Ghana could have achieved more with an earlier preparation programme.
“We have learned a lot. The tournament was exciting and the exposure was great, and we will build on it. Next time, when given the opportunity, we will go beyond the quarter-final stage.” “I think we could have done better if we had started our preparations earlier. The late preparation affected us, but overall, we are grateful for the support from our coaches, the technical team and the executives at both the national and regional levels.”
The Black Spikers’ seventh-place finish marks a significant step forward for Ghanaian women’s volleyball, with the team now set to build on its continental experience and prepare for the next edition of the African championship.
By: Victoria Kwofie
