Nigeria’s Under-20 Men’s Handball team has won the bronze medal at the 33rd Africa Men’s Junior Handball Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, after defeating Angola 24-19 in the third-place match on Saturday.
The Coach David Emmanuel-tutored side dominated proceedings from the start, taking a commanding 13-6 lead into the half-time break. They maintained their composure in the second half to secure a comfortable five-goal victory despite a late surge from the Angolans.
Angola had defeated Nigeria 25-20 in the group stage of the competition which ensured that Coach Emmanuel boys finished second behind the Southern Africa’ side.
The bronze medal caps an impressive campaign for the Nigerian youngsters, who had earlier secured qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s U21 Handball World Championship in North Macedonia after defeating Guinea 28-23 in the quarter-finals.
Nigeria has also qualified for the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase by the virtue of their ranking above all other countries in the IHF Trophy Africa Phase in the Championship
Nigeria’s achievement provides a strong finish to its campaign in Abidjan, with the team finishing third among Africa’s best junior handball nations.
