Nigeria’s quest for a continental glory in handball started on a poor note as they lost their first match of the ongoing 26th African Men’s Handball Championship in Cairo, the Egyptian seat of power.
The Golden Arrows as the Nigeria team is fondly called went down to Angola 26-24 on Wednesday.
The head coach of Nigeria men’s team, Rafiu Salami said the Golden Arrows of Nigeria lost to Angola due to the inexperience and hurriedness in the last two minutes.
Salami said the players gave a good account of themselves both in the defence and attack.
He said, “I must confess to you that the players did well; the only thing that cost us the match was our inexperience and hurriedness. The boys defensively put up a good fight, offensiveness was good but I think it shows that the Angolans were more experienced. The boys lost some crucial goals towards the end of the game.”
Next for Nigeria, is the confrontation against ten time African champions Tunisia.
The France based gaffer said, “Tunisia is a very much stronger side, we will put a good fight against Tunisia and let us see how the game will turn out. The disappointment is in everybody’s mind but the coaching crew is cheering the players up because in two days’ time, Nigeria will face Tunisia”.
He revealed that Nigeria still stands a chance of making it to the next round despite its loss.
Meanwhile , Rwanda lost its first game at the championships to Cape Verde 52-27.
Rwanda is only making her debut at the continental handball competition where it was pooled in Group D alongside DR Congo, Zambia, and Cape Verde.
During Wednesday’s game, Cape Verde dominated Rwanda, winning the first half 24 to 13, before returning to finish the job in the second half and walk away with a 52-27 victory.
Rwanda’s top-scorers in the Cape Verde game include Emmanuel Kubwimana, Yves Kayijamahe, and Samuel Mbesutunguwe with four goals each, while Jean Paul Muhawenayo and Elyse Muhumure added three each.
Rwanda will play its second match with the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, January 19. Cape Verde will face Zambia in its next match.
Rwanda is targeting to reach the knock-out stages of the competition at least.
Host Egypt made a powerful start to their African Championship campaign with a commanding 33-15 victory over Guinea in the opening game of the competition.
The Pharaohs showcased their superiority throughout the match, leaving their opponents unable to compete with the team that finished fourth in the 2020 Olympics.
In the first half, Egypt took a commanding 18-7 lead before ultimately winning the game with a remarkable 18-goal difference.
Currently, Egypt sit atop the group with two points, tied with Cameroon, who defeated Congo 25-21 earlier in the day.
Next, Egypt will face Congo on Friday as they aim to continue their winning form.
Holding from January 17-27, the tournament is organised by the African Handball Confederation (CAHB), bringing together top handball playing nations in Africa.
The 26th edition of the CAHB African Men’s Championship serves as a qualification event not only for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games but also for the 2025 World Men’s Handball Championship.
