Nigeria junior handball team gun for bronze after Tunisia ends final dream
Nigeria’s Under-20 Men’s Handball team will battle Angola for a place on the podium after Tunisia ended their hopes of reaching the final of the 33rd Africa Men’s Junior Handball Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The Coach David Emmanuel tutored side suffered a 44–23 defeat to the North Africans in the semi final, with Tunisia producing a dominant display from the opening whistle to establish a commanding 23–11 lead at half time.
Nigeria struggled to contain Tunisia’s attacking threat in the first half as the North Africans dictated the pace and built a 12-goal advantage before the interval.
Despite their efforts to stage a comeback after the restart, the Nigerian youngsters were unable to close the gap.
Tunisia maintained their intensity in the second half, extending their advantage as Nigeria fought to remain competitive.
The North Africans eventually sealed a convincing 44–23 victory to book their place in the championship final.
Nigeria, however, still have an opportunity to finish the tournament on a high when they face Angola in the third place playoff.
A victory would earn the young Nigerians a bronze medal and provide a positive conclusion to an otherwise impressive campaign.
The team has already achieved one of its major objectives by securing qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s U21 Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, following their quarter final victory over Guinea.
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