1st U18 Youth Africa Cup: Nigeria Teams Begin Campaign With Mixed Results In Nairobi

1st U18 Youth Africa Cup: Nigeria Teams Begin Campaign With Mixed Results In Nairobi

Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria's male and female teams recorded contrasting results on the opening day of the inaugural U18 Hockey5s Youth Africa Cup (YAC) 2026 at the Sikh Union Club in Nairobi, Kenya, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The three-day tournament, running from August 6 to 8, serves as the qualification event for the first FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, scheduled for December 2026.

Nigeria's women's team opened their campaign on a winning note with a 7-4 victory over South Africa, producing an impressive attacking display to claim all three points.

The men's team also started brightly, edging Uganda 8-5 in their first match of the tournament.

However, the Nigerian boys were unable to maintain their momentum in their second outing, suffering a 10-5 defeat to hosts Kenya.

Elsewhere on the opening day, Kenya's women thrashed Uganda 7-0 before falling 5-3 to South Africa. Ghana's women also made a strong start with a 9-2 victory over Uganda.

 In the men's competition, Kenya defeated South Africa 8-5, while South Africa later responded with a commanding 12-5 win over Uganda.

The tournament continues on Friday as teams battle for places at the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup later this year.