HFN Extends Invitation To 18 Players Ahead African Women's Nations Cup

HFN Extends Invitation To 18 Players Ahead African Women's Nations Cup

By Niyi Busari

Eighteen players have been invited for camping by Nigeria's under 18 women's handball coach, Shittu Adewunmi Agboola, ahead of the 19th Africa Women's Youth Nations Championship which will hold in Monastir, Tunisia from the 16th to the 23rd of September 2023.

This is contained in a Press Release signed by the Media Assistance to the federation's President, Cosmos Chukwuemeka .

The players invited are largely comprised of players who went unbeaten all through the IHF Trophy Africa Zone 3 phase in Ghana and the IHF Trophy Africa Continental Phase in Abidjan, Ivory Coast to qualify for the IHF Trophy Intercontinental Phase which will hold later in the year.

The list has captain Esther Matthew and the Babatunde twins from Seasider Babes of Lagos, Goalkeeper Precious Samuel, Prudence Onyinyechukwu Samuel and Bello Rahima of Rima Queens, Vera John of Bayelsa Queens and Damilola Akinlade of Delta Force amongst others.

Camping commenced on Wednesday with the players arriving the Rowe Park Sports Center in Yaba, Lagos to begin intensive preparation ahead of the championship.

The team will play in group A alongside Guinea, Algeria and two times champion Tunisia in the Youth category (under 18) which will commence immediately after the Junior (under 20) part of the championship.

Nigeria will be participating for the first time in the championship since they came second in the very first edition in the year 2000 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and they will hope to take the form of the IHF Women's Trophy into the Africa championship which serves as qualifiers for the 2024 IHF Women's Youth World Handball Championship.

Nigeria has never qualified for the world championship and this is an opportunity for the country to make history.