Nigeria’s U-18 women’s handball team secured a significant victory against Angola with a 29-21 win in the 2024 U-18 Women’s Handball Championship.

This triumph came after a challenging start to the tournament, where the team faced defeats against Croatia and Montenegro in their opening matches.

The victory over Angola propelled Nigeria to third place in Group B, allowing them to advance to the President’s Cup.

In this round, they will compete alongside Angola, Chile, and one of Serbia, Austria, or Sweden.

Reflecting on the team’s performance, Nigerian back Taiwo Babatunde expressed her satisfaction stating, “It is an amazing experience for us, and we are trying to learn as much as we can here, to become even better.

“Last year, we were in our continental competition, now we are at the World Championship, and we are aiming to become even better.”

The match against Angola saw Nigeria dominate from the start, finishing the first half with an 11-9 lead.

They maintained their momentum in the second half, ultimately securing an 18-12 scoreline to seal their victory.

Babatunde credited their coach for the team’s performance saying, “Our coach is also making us play the best we can, therefore we must respect what he says.

“We are not that experienced, but we have been quite good in the African championship last year, and we are trying to give our best every time here.”

In Group B, Croatia emerged as the top team, followed by Montenegro and Nigeria in second and third positions, respectively, while Angola finished at the bottom.

The main round and President’s Cup fixtures are set to begin on Sunday, August 18.

Babatunde, who scored five of Nigeria’s goals in the first two matches, also shared her personal aspirations.

“Of course, this would be amazing, to have even more players and handball to become more popular in Nigeria,” she said.

“I want to become a professional handball player, feature in a European side, and become a businesswoman.”