By Victor Kanayo
Nigeria’s under 18 girls handball team have been crowned Champions of the IHF Women’s Trophy Africa Continental Phase after they defeated Guinea in the final of the competition.
In a final played at the Centre ivoiro – coréen sports hall in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the Coach Shittu Adewunmi Agboola tutored girls stood tall on all fronts to comfortably defeat Guinea 33-18 to win the continental phase of the 2023 edition of the IHF Women’s Trophy International.
The team had earlier defeated Guinea in the first match of the under 18 category with a 30-25 victory and it was expected that the final will be a battle of two Titans, but the gallant girls stood out with precise wing shots, taking their chances from nine meters while defending doggedly to overcome their opponent to win the competition.
The victory means that Nigeria will be the only representative of Africa at the IHF Women’s Trophy Intercontinental Phase later in the year.
Nigeria have now gone 8 matches unbeaten; starting from the IHF Women’s Trophy Africa Zone 3 tourney in Accra , Ghana earlier in the year where they emerged champion and then in the continental phase where they are now champion.
Volleyball Squad
The head coach of Nigeria senior women’s volleyball team, Samuel Ajayi, has unveiled his squad for the 2023 Africa Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship.
The 21st African Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship is scheduled for August 14 to 29 in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The list of 12 players was published on the Facebook page of the Nigerian Volleyball Federation (NVBF) on Sunday.
Superstar Opposite hitter, Albertina Francis (NSCDC), Ijeoma Ukpabi (COAS Spikers), captain Comfort Amonwu (NSCDC), setter Sharon Achi and Libero Jummai Bitrus are some of the regular players who made the cut.
New girls are Aliyat Usman (CNS Spikers), Venesa Okike (Benue Queens), Deborah Chukwu (COAS Spikers), Blessing Unkwe (NSCDC) and Kelechi Ndukauba (CNS Spikers).
Those dropped from the team include Naomi Yaro (Kada Emeralds), Sarah Ali (COAS Spikers), Elizabeth Ilesanmi (CNS Spikers), Mariam Usman (CNS Spikers), Aisha Abdulraheem (CNS Spikers), Ifeoma Mordi (COAS Spikers), Charity Sylvester (COAS Spikers) and Dorathy Joseph (Kada Emeralds).
