Coach John Uzor has selected several of the players that won the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Africa Zone 3 Championship in Cote d’Ivoire earlier this year for the forthcoming African U-18 Women’s Handball Championship billed for Oran, Algeria.

These include Balikiss Mohammed, Chetachi Ngaodurubie and Phebe Oluwalade. Others are Aisha Jamilu, Faizat Balogun, Audu Salamatu, Blessing Igbinidion and Esther Peter.

The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), in a statement yesterday, said that the team have been undergoing thorough preparatory camping under the tutelage of Coach Uzor and his assistant Bukola Duru at the Rowe Park Sports Center, Yaba, Lagos ahead of the championship, which serves as qualifiers for the 2026 Women’s Youth World Handball Championship, as well as the IHF Women’s Intercontinental Phase.

The championship will hold from the September 14 to 21, 2025. Nigeria finished third at the last edition of the championship in 2023 in Monastir, Tunisia.

In Algeria, Nigeria will play in Group A against Angola, Tunisia, Kenya, Benin Republic and Madagascar. Group B comprises hosts, Algeria, five-time champions and current title holders, Egypt, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Zambia.

Others in the Nigerian team are goalkeepers, Aisha Jamilu (Rima Queens of Sokoto), Okonkwo Sharon, Duru Success (Edo Dynamos), Momodu Joy Veronica, Esther Peter, Desola Wasiu and Terfa Cynthia