The media assistant of Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Cosmos Chukwuemeka Akisi has disclosed that players in the country’s under-18 and under-20 men’s teams are ready to excel during all their matches in Lomé, Togo.
Sports247 gathered that the teams are in the Togolese capital to compete at the 2026 IHF Trophy Africa Zone 3 Tournament, which runs from this Tuesday until Friday, with qualification to the continental level at stake.
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Just before the commencement of matches on Tuesday, Akisi disclosed that the Nigerian players and their coaches in the two age categories are in high spirit, as they look forward to winning both competitions.
Organised by International Handball Federation (IHF), the competitions serve as a platform for winners of the youth category (under-18) and junior cadre (under-20) to pick tickets that would ensure they represent Zone 3 at the continental phase.
Nigeria’s U18 team will compete in Group B alongside Benin Republic, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, while the U20 are also in Group B along with Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso; ahead of which the media officer assured that they were all fully ready.
He disclosed further that the Nigerian under-18 team is guided by Abdulhakim Yakubu and Ayo Joshua, while the under-20 squad is led by their head coach, David Emmanuel and his assistant, Cole Olatunde.
Akisi added in a press release, “The teams landed in high spirits following weeks of intensive camping, where both squads worked on tactics, fitness, and team cohesion in preparation for the regional championship.
“With the group stage now confirmed and the teams already on ground in Lomé, attention turns to the opening matches; as Nigeria aims to dominate their groups and progress deep into the tournament.
“The IHF Trophy Africa Zone 3 continues to provide a vital pathway for young African talents, and for Nigeria, the objective is to secure qualification and represent the zone at the continental stage.”
, Cosmos Chukwuemeka Akisi has disclosed that players in the country’s under-18 and under-20 men’s teams are ready to excel during all their matches in Lomé, Togo.){kind=link}