Nigeria’s under-18 men’s handball team has emerged as champions of the International Handball Federation (IHF) Trophy Africa Men’s Continental Championship. They clinched the title with a 38-26 victory over Guinea in the tournament final held on Wednesday in Addis Ababa.
Coach Emeka Nnamani’s tutored side started the match with grit, and despite some avoidable turnovers, Nigeria won the first half 21-14. Nigeria then came into their full element in the second half as they played with panache and flair.
Notable efforts from Christian Foloki and Azeez Sulaimon led the team to score important goals and defend better against the Guineans, winning the match 38-26. With this victory, Nigeria retained the title they won in Congo Brazzaville in 2022, and Sulaimon was voted the Player of the Match.
In a statement by Cosmos Akisi, the media officer of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Coach Nnamani shared his thoughts on the team’s performance.
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“What more can I say? We prepared for this moment, and the boys took it with all seriousness.
“We knew the Guineans from the previous times we played them, and we watched their matches in this competition so we could tactically prepare for them, which we did.
“Thanks to the HFN, they ensured that we made it to this competition despite the flight delay and gave us all the necessary backing to do well,” Nnamani said.
Nigeria will represent Africa at the IHF Trophy Intercontinental phase, which will be played early next year in a yet-to-be-named country.
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