Nigeria’s Golden Arrows have sent a strong warning to the rest of the continent after storming into the quarter-finals of the African Handball Nations Cup with a flawless group-stage performance in Kigali, Rwanda.
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The Nigerians topped Group A with a perfect six points from three matches, capping their dominant run with a commanding 30–20 victory over host nation Rwanda on Saturday.
That emphatic result not only underlined Nigeria’s growing authority at the tournament but also confirmed Rwanda’s elimination.
Seven-time champions Algeria joined Nigeria in the knockout rounds from Group A, cruising past Zambia 37–21 to secure their place among the final eight.
Across the other groups, Africa’s traditional heavyweights also flexed their muscles. In Group B, defending champions Egypt were ruthless, demolishing Uganda 54–13 to finish top of the group, while Angola followed closely with two wins to claim second place.
Group C saw Tunisia and Guinea advance. Tunisia swept aside Kenya 39–21 in convincing fashion, while Guinea edged Cameroon 24–18 in a tightly contested encounter to book their quarter-final ticket.
From Group D, Cape Verde and Morocco completed the quarter-final line-up. Morocco overcame Congo 39–31, while Cape Verde kept their campaign alive with a solid 32–24 win over Benin.
With the group stage concluded, attention now shifts to a mouth-watering quarter-final round. Nigeria have been drawn into a daunting bracket alongside defending champions Egypt, Algeria and Angola.
The Golden Arrows will face Angola, while Egypt and Algeria clash in what is widely regarded as the blockbuster tie of the round.
In the other quarter-final matchups, Tunisia will square off against Morocco in a North African derby, while Guinea take on Cape Verde.
As Africa’s elite handball nations prepare for the knockout battles, Nigeria’s perfect group-stage run has firmly positioned them as one of the teams to beat as the quest for continental supremacy intensifies in Kigali.
