…….. We are going to make a statement in Egypt
HFN President, Sam Ocheho told www.aclsports.com the Federation is currently bankrolling the camping exercise as yet to get support from any quarter.
The 26th Africa Men Handball Nations Cup is scheduled for 19th to 29th January, 2024 in Egypt and serves as a qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Ocheho revealed that the Federation will continue to expose the players in order to help their career. He said that the African Nations Cup is an avenue to showcase the talents of the players.
Ocheho said, “The Federation is doing everything within its ability to support the players and the technical crew. As you know the players are currently camped in Abuja and it is bankrolled by HFN. The Federation does not have any support from any quarter as well as the Government at the moment; going for this Nations Cup is also the baby of the HFN. We just want to ensure that the Federation continues to expose the lads, help them with their career development and continue to expose them to the world at least, they can develop in their chosen career.
“The Nations Cup is always a great avenue to sell our players. The truth is that it is the highest in the continent and there will be scouts to watch players that can be discovered. This is a good opportunity for our young team to show their strength and power so that teams can come for them”.
Ocheho stated, “The current squad, though very young, have the potential to do better than what we have done in the previous three editions of the African Men’s Senior Handball Cup. They look young but filled with a bunch of experiences; the players have the energy, zeal and determination to make Nigeria proud. I strongly believe that if anyone takes us for granted in the coming Nations Cup, it will be at their own peril”.
The astute sports administrator revealed that the technical crew has been able to strengthen the Left Wing position with fast rising player, John Shagari.
Ocheho explained that the stability in the country’s leagues has contributed immensely to the national teams.
He said, “The team is capable of making a statement and creating an upset. One area we have been able to strengthen is the Left Wing Position with John Shagari. The left-wing used to be a very weak position and we hope he does well. If Shagari does well, I think Nigeria is going to have a lot of victory songs to sing at the Nations Cup. We are looking forward to it greatly and I believe these young lads will do Nigeria proud.
“The stability of the league has help significantly with the development of our national team and a strong prerequisite for its growth. You see a lot of young boys that have come through the ranks; people that played in the National U12, U15, U19 and are now playing at the very top level.
“These set of players are making huge statements in the league; that is also going to boost our national team and some of these players have gotten exposure abroad in bigger teams than what we used to have in the past. At least you can see that championships have been played, the lads are not idle and they bring freshness into the national team”, he concluded.
