Nigeria Qualify For 2027 IHF Men’s U21 World Championship
Nigeria have qualified for the 2027 IHF Men’s U21 World Championship after defeating Guinea 28-23 in the quarter-finals of the 33rd African Men’s Junior Handball Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Wednesday.
Coach David Emmanuel’s side produced a disciplined performance to secure a five-goal victory, taking a 14-10 lead into half-time before holding off Guinea’s second-half fightback. The result also booked Nigeria’s place in the semi-finals of the African championship.
The qualification was secured because the semi-finalists at the African championship earn four of the five available tickets to the 2027 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship, with the fifth spot going to the best remaining team.
Nigeria will face Tunisia in Friday’s semi-final after the North Africans defeated the Democratic Republic of Congo 36-20 in their quarter-final.
The achievement marks Nigeria’s fourth appearance at the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship.
Nigeria previously qualified for the 1981 edition in Portugal, where they finished 14th, the 1985 tournament in Italy, where they placed 16th, and the 2019 edition in Spain, where they finished 19th.
Emmanuel was delighted that his players had achieved their first major objective but insisted that their ambitions extend beyond qualification.
‘We are happy with the victory and, most importantly, the qualification for the World Championship. The boys showed character and discipline against Guinea,’ Emmanuel said.
‘Now we have to recover, study our next opponent, which is Tunisia, and prepare properly for the semi-final.
‘We know it will be a difficult game, but we are ready for the challenge as we aim to win the Africa Nations Championship.’
Nigeria had already impressed during the group phase, finishing second in a highly competitive Group B behind Angola after also defeating Algeria.
IHF statistics showed Nigeria’s Saka Muktar as the leading scorer of the tournament after the preliminary round, with 29 goals.
The Nigerians will now turn their attention to Tunisia as they seek to reach the African final and complete their campaign with the continental title.
The 33rd African Men’s Junior Handball Championship runs from September 5 to 12 in Abidjan, with the tournament serving as the qualification event for the 2027 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship.
