Handball: Nigeria Beat Guinea, Qualify For 2027 IHF Men’s U21 World Championship

Nigeria’s Under-20 men’s handball team have secured qualification for the 2027 IHF Men’s Under-21 World Championship after defeating Guinea 28-23 in their quarter-final clash at the 33rd Africa Men’s Junior Handball Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Wednesday.

The victory also booked Nigeria a place in the semi-finals of the continental championship, keeping alive their hopes of claiming the African title.

Coach David Emmanuel’s side produced a disciplined display to overcome a determined Guinean team, taking a 14-10 lead into half-time.

Guinea attempted to fight their way back into the contest after the interval, but the Nigerians held their nerve and maintained their advantage to secure a five-goal victory.

Nigeria will face Tunisia in the semi-finals after the North Africans cruised past the Democratic Republic of Congo with a 36-20 quarter-final victory.

The qualification also means Nigeria will return to the global stage for the fourth time in the history of the IHF Men’s Junior World Championship.

The 2027 tournament is scheduled to take place in North Macedonia. Nigeria previously featured at the 1981 World Championship in Portugal, where they finished 14th, before placing 16th at the 1985 edition in Italy. Their most recent appearance came at the 2019 tournament in Spain, where they finished 19th.

Coach Emmanuel welcomed the qualification but insisted that the team’s ambitions extend beyond securing a place at the World Championship.

“We are happy with the victory and, most importantly, the qualification for the World Championship. The boys showed character and discipline against Guinea,” Emmanuel said.

“We now have to recover, study our next opponent, Tunisia, and prepare properly for the semi-final. We know it will be a difficult game, but we are ready for the challenge as we aim to win the African championship.”

With their World Championship ticket secured, the young Nigerians will now turn their attention to Tunisia as they seek to reach the final and continue their impressive campaign in Abidjan.