Nigeria’s boys’ U-18 and U-20 teams arrived in Lome, Togo, over the weekend, brimming with confidence ahead of the 2026 IHF Trophy Africa Zone 3 Tournament scheduled to hold from April 7 to 11.

Before leaving for Togo, the team went through weeks of an intensive preparatory period, where both squads worked on tactics, fitness, and team cohesion in preparation for the regional championship.

Organised by the International Handball Federation (IHF), the competition serves as a key developmental platform, with the winners of both the Youth (U-18) and Junior (U-20) categories earning the right to represent Zone 3 at the continental phase.

Following the official draw, Nigeria’s U-18 team has been placed in Group B alongside Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Group A comprises Ghana, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire.

In the Junior (U-20) category, Nigeria is also drawn in Group B, where they will face Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. Group A features Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Niger.

The players in the U-18 team are Friday Shuaibu, Shaibu Mohammed, Aliyu Rufai, Sani Muntari, Usman Umar, Godstime Michael, Huzaifa Abdulkadir, Chidiebere Davine, Hamza Yahaya, Mohammed Yahaya, Umar Mohammed, Abubakar Abdullahi, Akibu Mohammed, and Obeze Akunebu. The team is guided by officials Abdulhakim Yakubu and Ayo Joshua.

In the U-20 squad are Attahiru Ab Sahabi (Sokoto Rima), Obabori Samuel Aduralere (Adjidja HB Cotonou), Ganiu Aduragbemi Emmanuel (Tojemarine HB), Kareem Faruk Olamilekan (Tojemarine HB), Akanni Basit (Lagos Seasiders), Mohammed Musa (Safety Shooters), Jackson Nelson (Adamawa Warriors), Chuks Moses Egwuelu (Safety Shooters), Okolie Olisaemeka Andrew (Tojemarine), Yusuf Suleiman (Sokoto Rima), Abaaka Simon (Safety Shooters), Suleiman Sani (Flowers HB Cotonou), Mustapha Mohammed (Sokoto Rima), and Isyaka Mustapha (Flowers HB Cotonou).
The team is led by Head Coach David Emmanuel, and Assistant Coach Cole Olatunde.