The head coach of Nigeria U20 Men’s Handball Team, Fidelis Obi has expressed the team’s readiness for the 2023 IHF Trophy Africa in Congo
The Continental Phase of the men’ junior tournament of the IHF Trophy Africa will take place in Brazzaville, Congo from 16th to 20th January 2023.
The event served as a qualification event for the Intercontinental Phase of the IHF Trophy.
In an exclusive interview with www.aclsports.com, Obi said the team is working hard to win the trophy as well as qualify for the World Trophy Challenge.
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The veteran coach said the country’s opponents at the IHF Trophy Challenge are less tough than the IHF Trophy Challenge Zone 3 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast last November.
He expressed confidence in the selected players who resumed camp on Monday in Lagos.
He said, “Nigeria U20 team are prepared and our target is to qualify for the IHF World Challenge. The players in camp are equal to the task and have what it takes to deliver the ticket for the country.
“Luckily for Nigeria, the North Africans are not participating in the challenge trophy because the challenge is for handball developing countries. The IHF Trophy Challenge Zone 3 Nigeria won was more challenging and the opponents were tougher.
All the participating teams; Congo (CGO), Guinea (GUI), Madagascar (MAD), Nigeria (NGR), Rwanda (RWA) and Zimbabwe (ZIM) are zonal winner and the winner of the Africa Challenge will represent Africa in the World Intercontinental phase”.
Exclusive list of 18 junior players (U20) invited to camp;
Solomon Yusuf (Kano Pillars), John Nwodo (Kano Pillars), Abdulgafar Kehinde (Confluence Stars), Oluwaseun Amusan (TojeMarine Academy), Obinna Okwor (Confluence Stars), Timothy Isah (Sokoto Rima), Hakeem Salami (Adjija HC of Benin Republic), Abubakar Ahmed (Niger United), Abubakar Surajo (Sokoto Rima), Sadiq Ogundokun (De Defenders), John Shagari (Sokoto Rima), Farouk Yusuf (BM Granoller of Spain), Abdulgafar Busari (Confluence Stars), Ejembi Anthony (Niger United), Anthony Nliam (Kano Pillars), Yazid Kasim (Niger United), Sofeme Christopher (Yobe Desert HC) and Joshua Opaluwa (Confluence Stars)
Coaches: Fidelis Obi and AbdulRasheed AbdulSalam
