*pitched alongside Tunisia, Cape Verde In Group C
By; AYO OJEDOKUN Lagos
The Nigeria Senior National Handball Male team, The Golden Arrows are presently undergoing intensive training camp in Abuja ahead of the 25th Africa Men Handball Championship.
The 25th edition of the African Men’s Handball Championship, which will hold in Egypt from July 9 to 19, 2022, will also serve as the the African qualifying tournament for the 2023 World Men’s Handball Championship in Poland and Sweden.
It was originally billed to hold in January 2022, but was postponed after the Confederation of Africa Handball (CAHB) received series of protests from some countries after the initial draw grouping.
To this end, the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) invited 26 players made up of players of top teams in the Prudent Energy Handball Premier League and some foreign professionals who are sweating out in a close camping at the Agunyi Ironsi Cantonment in Abuja under the tutelage of Coach Solomon Yola who is holding fort for France based Coach Rafiu Salami.
Coach Solomon Yola said the players are responding to training and will do everything humanly possible to ensure they represent Nigeria with flying colours at the championship.
“The boys have been putting in the hardwork in camp and hopefully when the gaffer Coach Rafiu arrives, it will get better.
One thing is for sure, we will ensure we do well in the Nations Cup because our goal is to qualify for the World Championship” Coach Solomon Yola said.
Nigeria is drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia and Cape Verde.amd will play their first match against Tunisia in their first match against on July 11 and Cape Verde on July 12.
Nigeria has participated in eleven editions of the Africa Men Handball Nations with their best outing recorded in the 1998 edition held in South Africa wherein they finished 4th after losing to Egypt 35-26.
PROVISIONAL LIST OF 25 PLAYERS FOR SENIOR NIGERIA NATIONAL CAMP:
(Gk)
1: Oladunoye Adamoulugbe (Police Machine),2: Micheal Solomon Agbaji (3: Okwor Obinna (Confluence Stars),4: Abbas Mohammed, ( Niger United5: Bature Sanni ( Kano Pillars)
PIVOT:
6:Stephen Sesugh (Kano Pillars),7: Dele Kelvin ( Niger United,8: Joseph Igwekere (Sokoto Rima)
CENTER BACK:
9: Obinna Patrick (,10:Ibrahim Dikko (Kano Pillars
11:Emeka Adigwe ( Flowers of Benin Republic),12:Aminu Aliyu ( Niger United?
13:Atabo Abubakar ( Safety Shooters)
LEFT BACK:
14:Chris Ogendengbe (Kano Pillars),15:Kingsley Okubuike (Flowers of Benin Republic),16:Anthony Agada (Confluence Stars),17: Owolabi Yaya ( Tojemarine),18:Odeh Gbawun (Niger United)
RIGHT BACK
19:Obinna Anih (Israel),20:Rotibi Gbenga ( Morocco)
RIGHT WING
21:Faruq Yusuf ( Lomza Vive Kielce, Poland),22:Gbenga Cole (Morocco)
23:Osamwonyi Matthew (Kano Pillars)
LEFT-WING
24:Ana’s Mohammed ( Niger United),25:Aminu Chris (Kano Pillars
26:Andrew Ojo (Kano Pillars)
Meanwhile,2022 African Men’s Handball Championship groups are:
Group A:
Egypt ,Morocco,Cameroon
Group B:
Algeria ,Gabon,Guinea,Kenya
Group C:
Tunisia,Cape Verde,Nigeria
Group D:
Angola ,D.R Congo,Senegal qnd
Zambia.
