The Nigeria U-18 Men’s handball team claimed victory at the IHF Trophy Africa Men Continental Phase by defeating Guinea 38-26 in the final held on Wednesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
This is the national team’s successful title defense, as they previously won the championship in Congo Brazzaville two years ago.
The Nigerian team dominated the match from the onset, taking a 21-14 lead at halftime.
The second half saw Nigeria dominate with increased confidence and skill. Christian Foloki, who had recovered from an injury in the semi-final against Cameroon, and standout player Azeez Sulaimon spearheaded both offensive and defensive efforts.
Their combined performance helped secure the 38-26 victory.
The national team coach, Emeka Nnamani after the successful outing spoke on the team’s preparation and performance.
“We prepared for this moment, and the boys took it with all seriousness. We knew the Guineans from previous matches and watched their games to prepare tactically, which paid off.”
“The real MVP is the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), led by Mr. Samuel Ocheho. They ensured that we made it to this competition despite the flight delay and gave us all the necessary backing to do well,” Nnamani added.
Azeez Olaitan MVP, 2024 IHF Africa Continental Championship. Photo | X
Nigeria’s Azeez Sulaimon earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the match following this exceptional game play.
