Nigeria moved a step closer to qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s Under-19 Handball World Championship after defeating hosts Côte d’Ivoire 31-26 in their 5th -8th placement match at the Africa Men’s Youth Handball Championship in Abidjan yesterday.
Coach Abdulhakim Yakubu’s side led 13-11 at half-time before producing a composed second-half performance to seal a five-goal victory.
Simon Abaaka was named Most Valuable Player following an impressive performance for Nigeria.
The victory means Nigeria will face the winner of the Cameroon-Rwanda classification encounter in their final placement match.
Victory in that game would secure fifth position for Nigeria and, crucially, a ticket to the 2027 IHF Men’s U19 World Championship.
Nigeria are therefore just one win away from completing their qualification mission.