Nigeria progress to semi-final of IHF Trophy Africa Men’s Continental Phase
By Tosin Omojola
Nigeria’s under-18 men’s handball team secured their place in the semi-finals of the IHF Trophy Africa Men’s Continental Phase by defeating host Ethiopia 47-31 on Monday in Addis Ababa.
After winning their first match against Zambia on Sunday, the team, led by Coach Emeka Nnamani, faced an Ethiopian side energized by home support. However, Nigeria quickly established their dominance, finishing the first half with a commanding 25-16 lead.
In the second half, Ethiopia showed improvement and started scoring more effectively in the opening minutes. Yet, Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Samuel Obabori, delivered an outstanding performance, making crucial saves just as he had done against Zambia. Meanwhile, Nigeria’s outcourt players consistently outscored their opponents, ultimately sealing the victory at 47-31.
Obabori was rightly named the Most Valuable Player of the match for his impressive contributions.
An elated Coach Emeka Nnamani praised his team’s resilience, highlighting their ability to perform well despite playing against the host nation and their enthusiastic fans.
“I am very happy because we achieved our objective in the match, despite the challenges of playing against the hosts and their supporters,” Coach Nnamani said. “We knew that a victory would give us an easier path to the semi-finals, and the boys executed our tactical plan effectively.”
Nigeria will face Cameroon in the semi-final of the competition on Tuesday at 5 PM Nigerian time.
