Nigeria’s U-18 men’s handball team claimed the runner-up position at the IHF Trophy’s Intercontinental Phase after a hard-fought 34-30 overtime loss to Kosovo in the final on Sunday in Pristina.
Coached by Emeka Nnamani, the team entered the match eager to avenge their earlier defeat to the hosts in the preliminary stage. However, Kosovo’s solid defense made it difficult for Nigeria to capitalize on key opportunities. Despite their efforts, the first half ended in a tense 13-13 draw.
In the second half, Nigeria stepped up their performance, outscoring Kosovo and taking a 26-24 lead with less than three minutes remaining. Christian Foloki and Mustapha Mohammed played a crucial role, contributing a combined 13 goals. However, the team struggled to maintain their advantage, allowing Kosovo to score two late goals, forcing the match into overtime with the help of Amar Muqolli.During overtime, Kosovo, backed by their home crowd, secured a 34-30 victory to claim the IHF Trophy’s Intercontinental Phase title.
The USA clinched third place with a narrow 36-34 win over Uzbekistan in the bronze medal match.Nigeria’s Mustapha Mohammed emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with 43 goals, followed by Kosovo’s Amar Muqolli with 30 goals and Granit Kadiri with 29 goals.
This marks Nigeria’s second loss in an IHF Trophy final, having previously fallen to Chinese Taipei in 2019. They also finished third in the 2023 edition. A win in this tournament would have secured Nigeria a spot in the IHF Men’s Youth World Championship later this year.
Source : https://www.punch.ng/
