Nigeria Face Must-Win Egypt For Semifinal Ticket After Angola

Nigeria Face Must-Win Egypt For Semifinal Ticket After Angola Loss

By Niyi Busari 

Nigeria’s Golden Arrows suffered a setback in their opening Group 1 match of the Final Eight stage at the African Men’s Handball Nations Cup in Rwanda, falling 27–24 to Angola on Saturday, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

The defeat leaves Nigeria second in the group on two points after the first round of Main Round fixtures, while Angola moved into third place with the victory. The encounter was played at the BK Arena in Kigali.

Angola asserted control early, capitalising on key moments to build momentum and take a 14–11 lead into half-time, underpinned by a disciplined defensive performance.

Nigeria mounted a spirited challenge after the break, narrowing the deficit and pressing for a turnaround. However, the Southern Africans remained composed in the closing stages, inspired by an outstanding performance from Cláudio André Patrício Chicola, who finished the match with 14 goals.

The Golden Arrows now face a decisive fixture against group leaders and semi-final qualifiers Egypt on Tuesday, 28 January 2026. Victory in that encounter would keep Nigeria firmly in contention for a place in the semi-finals.

A positive result against Egypt could also secure Nigeria’s long-sought qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship in Germany.

The Handball Nations Cup Main Round will pause for a two-day break before resuming later this week in Kigali.