The head coach of Nigeria Men’s Senior Handball Team, Rafiu Salami told www.aclsports.com that they have the confidence and the game plan to shoot down Angola at the 2024 African Men’s Handball Championship.
Nigeria will face Angola in their first match of Group D on January 17th at the 2024 African Men’s Handball Championship in Egypt.
Salami revealed that playing against Tunisia is going to be a tough task adding that the team will give the North African team a good fight.
The former National team player said the experienced gathered over the years in France will play a vital role in reshaping the young players
He said, “I will not promise you anything; our first match is against Angola and it will determine how far we are going to go in the tournament. Tunisia is a very strong team and one of the best teams in Africa; I know playing against them is going to be tough. We are going to see how the boys will hold Angola; if we can pass Angola, we will definitely scale through the group stages.
“Personally, my experience will help them understand that we can compete against the best. I am lucky to be in a country that dominates handball in the men and women’s categories in the world. I think the knowledge I have learnt, seen and acquired will be implemented in the team. It is a younger team and they will learn fast; they have what it takes to rule Africa”, he added.
The coach of CMA Aubervilliers HC said he is not going to put the team under pressure by setting a benchmark for them at the Nations Cup.
He revealed that the players in camp have shown determination during the camping exercise.
“I have been with the players for more than three days and the spirit in camp is very fantastic. The players are excited to be in the senior national camp; I have not worked with most of the players in the past but they have shown determination to make the country proud.
“We are trying to build a new team for the senior men’s national team for future championships. The plan is to groom some of the outstanding players who have played in the U18 and U21, allowing them to feature in the Nations Cup.
“For the upcoming African Nations Cup, I am not going to put them under pressure because they have not really gathered the experiences. I am optimistic that in the next four to five years, we should be able to rule Africa”, he told www.aclsports.com
The former Niger United HC player said, “Nigeria has improved in the last two Nations Cup. When I took over the team, Nigeria was virtually last in Africa but I have been able to guide the nation into the Top 10 teams on the continent. With time, Nigeria will be targeting podium finishes and make it to the Olympic Games”.
Nigeria is drawn in Group D with Angola, Tunisia and Kenya.
The 26th African Men’s Handball Championship will be held from 17th to 27th January, 2024 in Egypt and will serve as the African qualifying tournament for the 2025 World Men’s Handball Championship, with the top five nations qualifying.
