Nigeria secures victory over Angola at IHF Women’s U18 Handball World championship

Nigeria’s U18 Women’s Handball team earned a well-deserved 29-21 victory over Angola at the 10th IHF Women’s Under 18 Handball World Championship in Chuzhou, China.

This win allowed the team to bounce back from previous defeats in the tournament.

The team, coached by Shittu Adewunmi Agboola, had previously defeated Angola in the third-place match of the Africa Women’s Under 18 Handball Championship in Monastir last year. This victory continued their successful streak against one of Africa’s top handball teams.

Nigeria defended resolutely against Angola’s pivot player Matutuzila Nsimba Miguel Afonso, forcing turnovers and securing an 11-9 lead at halftime.

Nigeria found their stride, scoring several goals from the near side of the goal to win the half 18-12 and the match 29-21.

• Nigeria achieved a 57% shot efficiency from 51 attempts, scoring 29 goals.
• They had a 75% near-shot efficiency, with standout performances from Damilola Akinlade.
• The team also boasted a 90% efficiency in 6-meter shots.

With this win, Nigeria finished third in Group B with 2 points, behind Croatia and Montenegro. Coach Shittu praised his team’s resilience, stating, “I praise my team for their resilience in coming back to winning ways despite their previous losses and doing so against Angola, one of the best handballing countries in Africa, shows that we can set aside our losses to attain greatness.”

Nigeria will now compete in the classification competition known as the President’s Cup in Group 1, alongside Austria, Chile, and Angola. Their next match is against Chile on Sunday.