Nigeria’s World Cup hopes fell short by one position, missing out on qualification for the Handball World Championship.
The Golden Arrows, Nigeria’s Senior Men Handball team, ended their campaign at the 27th Africa Men’s Handball Nations Cup in Kigali, Rwanda, with a 25–20 defeat to Angola in the 5th–6th place classification match at the BK Arena.
The team began the contest on a bright note, putting up a disciplined and determined first-half performance to take a 12–9 lead into the break.
Coach Rafiu Salami’s team stepped up defensively and was effective going forward, with Hakeem Salami leading the charge in attack.
Nigeria’s World Cup Hopes End After Red Card
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 aftergetting sent off in the previous match against Guinea.
Angola took advantage of the situation, increasing its intensity and gradually seizing control of the game.
Despite a big push, Angola outscored Nigeria 16–8 after the restart as they 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 ends Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 IHF World Championship in Germany. Angola claimed Africa’s fifth World Cup qualification slot courtesy of the win.
Nigeria ultimately finished sixth overall at the continental championship, rounding off a tournament that showcased resilience and progress against some of Africa’s strongest handball nations.