Nigeria U-18 Handball Boys Miss World Championship Ticket After Penalty Shootout Defeat to Cameroon
Nigeria’s U-18 Men’s Handball team missed out on qualification for the 2027 IHF U-19 Handball World Championship after suffering a 32-30 defeat to Cameroon in the fifth-place match of the Africa Men’s Youth Handball Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Tuesday.
The closely contested encounter ended 27-27 after regulation time, following a 12-12 scoreline at halftime, forcing the match into a seven-metre penalty shootout to determine the winner.
Cameroon held their nerve during the shootout, outscoring the Nigerian side 5-3 to secure a 32-30 overall victory and claim fifth place in the championship.
The defeat ends Nigeria’s hopes of securing one of Africa’s five qualification tickets to the 2027 IHF U-19 Handball World Championship.
The Coach Abdulhakim Yakubu-tutored side had earlier defeated hosts Côte d’Ivoire 31-26 in the 5th–8th placement match to keep their qualification hopes alive.
