IHF Challenge Trophy: Nigeria  U18 retains continental title, qualifies for international championship

By Olusola Adebayo

The International Handball Federation (IHF) Challenge Trophy Championship, which began on Monday in Brazzaville the Congo, has ended with Nigeria's Under 18 Men's team topping the standing for Cadet teams, to qualify for the Intercontinental Championship.

Unfortunately, the Under 20 team were big winners on the last day, but their narrow 26-28 loss to Guinea, proved too costly at last, as they lost the only Intercontinental Championship slot for the Juniors, to tournament hosts, the Congo.

The Nigerian Under 18 team coached by Emeka Nnamani qualified for the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Championship with a hundred percent win record, but they had to dig deep to grind out a slim but much-needed 37-36 victory over Guinea, on Friday.

With the result, Nigeria has qualified for the intercontinental championship in the youth or cadet category, by winning all of their games from the Africa Zone 3 tournament in Côte d'Ivoire to the continental championship in Congo.

The victory also confirms the team, as back-to-back champions of the IHF Challenge Trophy Continental Tournament, having won it in 2018.

In the Under 20 category for Youth otherwise called Juniors, Nigeria emphatically defeated host Congo 37-18 in their finalé on Friday, but the win was not enough.

Coach Fidelis Obi's tutored team lost out to Guinea on the CAHB head-to-head rule.

It means, Guinea will go on to represent Africa in the Under 20 category of the intercontinental championship, while Nigeria flies the banner of Africa at the Under-18 tournament; in Pristine, Kosovo, from October 11-15, 2023.