HFN camps 17 players for IHF U-18 Intercontinental Championship

The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), yesterday, announced that 17 players are currently in a national camp in Lagos, preparing for the forthcoming International Handball Federation (IHF) Intercontinental Championship, which holds from March 6 to 11, 2023 in San Jose, Costa Rica.

They finished second in the 2019 edition held in Pristina, Kosovo, losing by a narrow 26 to 27 margin to Chinese Taipei in the final. The team, led by Coach Emeka Nnamani, will play its first match on March 8 against Nicaragua and also meet Georgia, Guadaloupe, Nicaragua and Tahiti in a round-robin competition.
 
The Guardian recalls that the country’s representative qualified for the 2023 IHF Trophy Intercontinental by defeating Guinea 37-36 in the final of the IHF Trophy Continental Phase held in Brazzaville, Congo earlier in the year. 
 
Before then, the team had played in the Africa Zone 3 tournament of the competition in Cote d’Ivoire, where they beat every team to remain unbeaten in the championship since its loss to Chinese Taipei in Kosovo.
 
The players in the Lagos camp include Kareem Faruk, Kuti Akorade, Sulaimon Azeez, Faloki Christian, Obabori Samuel, Mukiala Fuad, Mohammed Mustapha, Shagari John, Sulaiman Sani, Isiyaka Mustapha, Tahir Lawal, Rufai Aliyu, Ajibike Kareem, Ojo Oluwagbanga, Ganiu Aduragbemi, Mohammed Musa, and Sani Mutari.