Nigeria’s women’s U-18 handball team returned to the country on Monday after competing at the 2025 Africa Women’s Youth Handball Championship in Oran, Algeria.

The John Uzor-led side narrowly misse uhd out on a place in the semi-finals and a World Cup ticket but closed their campaign on a positive note with a thrilling 29-28 victory over hosts Algeria in their final game.

Despite the win, Nigeria also fell short of qualifying for the IHF Trophy. Guinea, who finished fourth overall, clinched the available ticket.

The media officer of the Handball Federation of Nigeria, Cosmas Chukwuemeka, explained the new qualification structure.

“Guinea finished fourth, and because of that, they are the highest-ranked team to qualify for the IHF competition,” he said.

“The IHF Trophy used to have its own qualifiers, but this year, the U-18 Nations Cup in Algeria doubled as the pathway. Unfortunately, Nigeria did not qualify.”

Nigeria wrapped up Group A in third place with five points, behind Tunisia (10 points) and Angola (eight points). Their spirited win over Algeria ensured a fifth-place finish overall, a respectable outing despite missing out on major qualification spots.