Eight goals from Faruk Yusuf helped Nigeria handball qualify for the semifinals at the 2025 IHF Emerging Nations Championship after a 25-22 victory over Moldova in their third group-stage match on Thursday.
Overall, the Golden Arrows of Nigeria finished with two wins and one draw to secure a historic semifinal spot.
Faruk Yusuf emerged the Most Valuable Player of the match, scoring eight goals and providing 14 direct assists.
Nigeria had a good second half despite a slow start to the half as Moldova kept the game close, with the gap not exceeding three goals and still stuck at 19:17, with 17 minutes to go.
Yusuf was handed some precious rest moments in attack during the first minutes of the second half.
The decisive blow came when Faruk Yusuf returned to lead Nigeria on a good run as Goalkeeper Obinna Okwor made saves to keep the lead.
The Limoges HC player is Nigeria’s top scorer at the tournament so far, with 19 goals.
Goalkeeper Obinna Okwor was also impressive, saving three consecutive shots and making a solid contribution to the team’s performance.
Coach of Nigeria Handball team Solomon Yola now has his sights set on a historic achievement: qualifying for the final.
The Republic of Moldova, which lost two of the three matches in the group, is heading to the Placement Matches.
