Handball: Nigeria’s U-18, U-20 Aim For Glory at IHF Women’s Trophy in Abidjan
Rowe Park To Serve as HFN’s Training Base
The Rowe Park Sports Centre in Yaba, Lagos, was chosen to serve as the training base for the U-18 and U-20 Women’s Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) during their preparation to once again try and make their mark on the global stage over the coming days.
The nation’s U-18 team, coached by John Uzor and the U-20 side, led by coach Adewunmi Agbola Shittu, underwent two weeks of rigorous training ahead of the competition, with both coaches having to trim their teams to 14 players each for the regional tournament.
Both squads departed Lagos on Thursday, heading to Abidjan for the IHF Women’s Handball Trophy Zonal Phase, which serves as the first hurdle in securing entry to the IHF Women’s Trophy calendar for the rest of the year.
Nigeria’s U-20 squad features almost the entire U-18 team that put the country on the women’s handball map in the competition by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in the nation’s history.
Coach Shittu is a seasoned campaigner with the national team, having successfully led the U-18s (now the U-20s) to second place at the IHF Women’s Trophy Intercontinental Phase in Uzbekistan last year. However, he believes that this competition will be significantly different to past ones.
"It is a new level of experience, as we haven't played in the Junior category of the competition before now. We have players who have participated at the Youth level of this competition, but they are motivated to do well at the Junior level, and we will overcome despite it being a different experience.”
Those were the words of coach Shittu ahead of the team’s departure to the Ivory Coast, while Uzor, who now leads the current U-18 team, admitted that he and his group of players have big shoes to fill after the former team represented Africa thanks to their success in the zonal and continental phases.
Nigeria U-18 and U20 Final Squads
Following their intensive two-week training camps, Shittu and John were both tasked with selecting the 14 players who would represent the nation at the Zonal Phase from the list of invited athletes. Here is who made the cut:
Nigeria Under-18 Squad
- Joy Omole
- Chetachi Angela Ngaodurubie
- Shola Omole
- Sharon Okonkwo
- Princess Ojie
- Abigail Nestor
- Faisat Balogun
- Salamatu Audu
- Balikis Mohammed
- Success Duru
- Phebe Oluwalade
- Aliya Adebayo
- Sarah Peter
- Treasure Mike Osagie
Nigeria Under-20 Squad
- Kehinde Babtunde - Aspac HBC
- Precious Samuel - Rima Queens
- Esther Mathew - Addidja HBC
- Chidera Ogbusimba - Rima Queens
- Prudence Samuel - Rima Queens
- Christiana Michael - Delta Force
- Lucy Onyekwere - Rima Queens
- Aishat Mahmud - Addidja HBC
- Joy Peters - Rima Queens
- Amina Mohammed - Rima Queens
- Rahima Bello - Nestiona HBC
- Izuoba Ijeoma - Delta Force
- Mariam Ojo - Funad Falcons
- Akinlade Damilola - River Queens
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