Nigeria’s under-18 men’s handball team defeated host Ethiopia 47-31 at the IHF Trophy Africa Men Continental Phase in Addis Ababa on Monday, Afrosport reports.
The Emeka Nnamani-led Nigerian side entered the game on a high note after seeing off Zambia in their opening match.
Nigeria continued their dominance in the competition, ending the first half with a 25-16 lead.
The hosts, however, fought back in the second half but Nigeria’s goalkeeper Samuel Obabori delivered another top performance with crucial saves.
Obabori, who was named the Man of the Match, helped Nigeria maintain their lead as they score 22 more times to seal the victory.
Nnamani praised the team’s resilience and performance despite playing in a hostile environment that was covered by Ethiopian fans.
“I am very happy because we achieved our objective in the match despite playing against the host and their fans. We knew that a victory for us will give us an easy access to the semi-finals, and the boys did their part in actualizing our tactical plan,” Nnamani said.
Nigeria will face Cameroon in the semi-final on Tuesday, November 5, at 5 pm Nigeria Time, with the hopes of reaching the final
