Nigeria’s Senior Men Handball team, the Golden Arrows, suffered a tough 48-22 defeat to defending champions Egypt in the Main Round of the 27th Africa Men’s Handball Nations Cup at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
Despite the loss, the Golden Arrows, who have shown resilience throughout the competition winning three and losing two matches thus far, are not out of the race for the 2027 World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.
The team still has a chance to secure qualification, as they now head into the 5th to 8th placement semi-final, where they will compete for the final fifth spot for Africa.
Captain Stephen Sessugh, who was a key player for the Golden Arrows scoring 5 goals against Egypt, expressed his disappointment with the result but remained hopeful.
“We gave our best, but Egypt is a strong team, and we knew it would be a tough game. However, we are still alive in this competition and have another opportunity to make history,” he said.
With Angola failing to defeat Algeria in an earlier match, the Coach Rafiu Salami’s tutored side needed to dig deep to beat their opponent for a chance to make the top 4 but the match saw defending champion Egypt dominate from the outset, taking a commanding 24-10 lead at halftime.
The 9 times champions, led by their top scorer Emad Mohammed, who netted 12 goals, showcased their offensive prowess, with several quick goals as their seamless passing and strong defensive play left Nigeria struggling to break through.
Mohammed’s sharp shooting was crucial in maintaining Egypt’s control over the game.
For Nigeria, goalkeeper Micheal Solomon made several crucial saves, but the team could not mount a strong comeback against Egypt’s relentless attack.
Hakeem Salami, who has been one of Nigeria’s standout players in the tournament alongside Faruk Yusuf, John Shagari and Azeez Sulaiman, fought hard to create opportunities for his team but was often met with solid defensive resistance from the Egyptians..
Despite the heavy loss, Nigeria’s quest for a spot in the 2027 World Championship remains within reach. The Golden Arrows will need to win both of their remaining matches in the 5th to 8th placement semi-final to finish fifth and secure the African final qualification slot.
Should they achieve this, it will mark Nigeria’s first-ever qualification for the World Championship, a historic achievement for Nigerian handball.
The Golden Arrows will now focus on their upcoming fixtures, knowing that a strong performance in the next two matches will etch their names in the history books.
