Nigeria’s Senior Men Handball team, the Golden Arrows, saw their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 IHF World Championship in Germany end after a 25-20 defeat to Angola in the 5th-6th place classification match at the 27th Africa Men’s Handball Nations Cup in Kigali, Rwanda.
The match, played at the BK Arena, saw Nigeria take a 12-9 lead into half-time after a disciplined and determined first-half performance.
Coach Rafiu Salami’s side were well organised at the back and effective going forward, with Hakeem Salami leading the charge in attack.
However, the tide turned in the second half as Nigeria were forced to cope with a man down following the red card shown to Faruk Yusuf, his second dismissal of the tournament after also being sent off in the previous match against Guinea.
Angola took advantage of the situation, increasing their intensity and gradually seizing control of the game.
Despite a spirited effort, Nigeria were outscored 16-8 after the restart as Angola powered to a 25-20 victory at full time.
Hakeem Salami, who finished the match with five goals, and Azeez Sulaiman, who added four goals, were the standout performers for Nigeria on the night, keeping the Golden Arrows competitive despite the numerical disadvantage.
The defeat not only brought Nigeria’s campaign to a close but also ended their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 IHF World Championship in Germany, as Angola claimed Africa’s fifth World Cup qualification slot by virtue of the win.
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