Nigeria’s under-18 men’s handball team was crowned champions of the IHF Trophy Africa Men’s Continental Phase on Wednesday, after securing a 38-26 victory over Guinea in the final held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The finale was attended by prominent officials from the Ethiopian central government and representatives from the Nigerian embassy, including Minister Mr. Boco Effiom Mbo.
Coach Emeka Nnamani’s team started the match with determination, and despite some avoidable turnovers, they led the first half with a score of 21-14.
In the second half, Nigeria demonstrated their skills and flair, with Christian Foloki, who recovered from an injury sustained in the semi-final against Cameroon, and standout player Azeez Sulaimon leading the team to crucial goals while also strengthening their team against Guinea.
Ultimately, Nigeria triumphed with a final score of 38-26, successfully retaining the title they won in Congo Brazzaville two years ago.
Azeez Sulaimon Olaitan was voted the Most Valuable Player of the match. Coach Emeka Nnamani expressed gratitude for the team’s preparation and seriousness in the final, acknowledging the support from the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) under Mr. Samuel Ocheho.
He stated, What more can I say? We prepared for this moment, and the boys took it seriously. We knew the Guineans from previous encounters and studied their matches in this competition to tactically prepare for them, which we did.
He continued, Of course, the real MVP is the Handball Federation of Nigeria, led by Mr. Samuel Ocheho and represented here by Alhaji Abdukadir Hussaini Mohammed, a member of the HFN. They supported us from the Zone 3 Phase to the continental phase of the IHF Trophy Africa, ensuring our participation despite flight delays and providing the necessary backing for our success.
With this victory, Nigeria has qualified for the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase, which will take place early next year in a yet-to-be-determined country, where they will represent Africa in the under-18 (Youth) category.
