Nigeria’s U-18 men’s handball head coach, Emeka Nnamani, has commended his team’s impressive performance following their strong start at the IHF Trophy Africa Men Continental Phase in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Expressing his satisfaction, Nnamani said, “I’m very pleased as we achieved our goal in this match, even while facing the hosts and their supporters. We knew that a win would ease our path to the semi-finals, and the players executed our tactical plan perfectly. They understood the importance of the game and implemented our strategy with precision.”
Nigeria advanced to the semi-finals with two wins in as many games at the tournament. They kicked off their campaign with a commanding 36-21 win over Zambia on Sunday, with goalkeeper Samuel Obabori earning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. This momentum continued with a 47-31 triumph over hosts Ethiopia on Monday, leaving Nigeria unbeaten.
Despite playing against a supportive Ethiopian crowd, Nnamani’s team took control from the outset, leading 25-16 at halftime. Although Ethiopia showed improvement in the second half, Obabori, delivering another MVP-worthy performance, made crucial saves that helped Nigeria secure the 47-31 victory.
Looking ahead, Nigeria will face Cameroon in the semi-finals of the competition today at 5 p.m. Nigerian time.
