By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria’s women will face European powers Croatia and Montenegro as well as Africa giants, Angola in Group B of the 10th Women’s U-18 Handball Championship in China.

The championship will hold in August this year

The Coach Shittu Adewunmi Agboola’s tutored ladies are the second best team globally at the IHF Women’s Trophy 2023/24 and also came third at the Africa Nations Cup, will play European giant Croatia, Montenegro and Angola, who fell to the girls in the third place match of the Africa Under 18 Women’s Handball Championship in Monastir, Tunisia.

Nigeria’s U-18 women handball team had qualified for the world championship for the first time in their history after defeating Morocco in the quarter final of the Africa Under 18 Women’s Handball Championship in Monastir Tunisia last year. They went on to finish third in the nations cup after defeating Angola in the third place match. They were defeated by Egypt in the semi-final.

The team comfortably dominated the IHF Women’s Trophy in the Africa zone 3 phase and continental phase in Ghana and Congo Brazzaville respectively before losing to Kosovo in the final of the IHF Women’s Trophy Intercontinental Phase in Uzbekistan to finish second in the global championship.

Coach Adewunmi Agboola Shittu described the group as a tough one but said the team will overcome with the best of preparation.

He also called on the ministry of sports to join hands with the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) in ensuring that the team have the best of preparation ahead of the world championship.

“Nigeria will be playing against top handballing nations in Croatia and Montenegro as well as Angola who is big name in handball but for us we respect teams but we are not afraid of any team as we have the best of strategy that we will use to curtail them.

“The HFN has been doing really good in building our team to be reckoned with. We have been to five tournaments since 2023 and we have finished on the podium so we believe we will do well

“Our target is to qualify from the group before other objectives. This is why we are pleading with ministry of sports and to assist the HFN so that we can have the best of preparation. This is the world championship and Nigeria qualified for the first time in history and a lot of support is needed so we can be in camp for longer while. We hope the ministry of sports will support us” Coach Shittu said.

Meanwhile, President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) Mr. Samuel Ocheho has also said the board will ensure that team will have the best of preparation ahead of the world championship.

“This is another challenge for us to make history as we are going to be playing at the world cup for the first time ever and we are the Handball Federation of Nigeria are determined to ensure the team does well and that will begin with us ensuring that the girls have the best of preparation.” Ocheho said.