Nigeria’s under-18 men’s team will go all out for redemption against Algeria on Wednesday at the ongoing 22nd Africa Men’s Youth Handball Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, following a 32-23 loss to Tunisia in their opening match.
Sports247 reports that Coach Abdulhakim Yakubu’s side crumbled against the Tunisians on Tuesday, despigte putting up an impressive first-half performance and even led 15-14 into the break, but the North Africans stepped up their performance in the second half.
While Yakubu’s players stumbled, the Tunisians spurred stronger to overturn the deficit and eventually punished Nigeria’s turnovers to secure victory at the end of the encounter, thereby leaving the losers with an uphill task to secure qualification into the knockout phase.
The task of winning their remaining games in Group B starts on Wednesday against Algeria, following which they will also battle Madagascar inside Palais des Sports, which recently hosted the 33rd Africa Men’s Junior Handball Championship and Nigeria’s under-20 team placed third.
Sports247 gathered further that Yakubu’s team also want to improve on Nigeria’s previous performances at the cadet level, having emerged runners-up to Benin Republic during the inaugural edition at the same venue in 2000, before winning bronze eight years later in Marrakech, Morocco.
For the ongoing edition, which starrted on Tuesday, the Nigerian players will look beyond the trophy alone, as the chaampionship has an additional significance in serving as Africa’s qualifiers for the 2027 IHF Men’s U-19 Handball World Championship.
