The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) has opened a preparatory camp for Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams in Lagos ahead of the IHF Trophy’s Women Zonal Phase, which will be held from April 20 to 24, 2025, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
The National Under-18 women’s team, led by Coach John Uzor, and the under-20 women’s team, led by Coach Adewunmi Agbola Shittu, will begin close camping at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos.
The competition is the first hurdle in the IHF Women’s Trophy calendar for the year.
The under-20 team is made up of the entire team that made Nigeria proud in the under-18 category of the competition and made history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time ever in the history of the country.
The likes of Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of the Benin Republic and her twin sister Taiwo Babatunde, who plays for Seasider Babes of Lagos; Esther Mathew of ADDIDJA HBC of the Benin Republic; and Rahima Bello, who plays for KIRYATONO HBC of ISRAEL.
Others are the Samuel Sisters (Prudence and Precious), Chidera Ogbusimba, Amina Mohammed, and Joy Peters, all from RIMA Queens, Sokoto, as well as Damilola Akinlade of Rivers Queens.
The likes of Omole Joy of Rivers Queens, Taiwo Islamiat of Seasiders Babes and Oluwalade Phoebe of Ekiti have been invited to the U-18 team.
The Nigerian U-18 team finished second in the IHF Women’s Trophy Intercontinental Phase in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, last year, representing Africa following their success in the zonal and continental phases.
The majority of the players have graduated to the U-20 under the tutelage of Agbola Shittu, who led them to the competition last year.
Shittu, however, believes this is a different situation, as Nigeria has never participated in the junior category (under 20) of the competition, and it will be a new level of experience for his girls.
He said, “It is a new-level experience, as we haven’t played in the junior category of the competition before now. We have the players who have participated at the youth level of this competition but are motivated to do well at the junior level, and we will overcome it despite it being a different experience.”
For Coach John Uzor, his under-18 team wants to surpass the standards set by their compatriots, and he believes they have the best crop of players to do so.
Similarly, the U-18 coach, John Uzor, said the team is ready to surpass the feat of their seniors in the competition.
He said, “We are entering into a big shoe worn by our elder sisters, who are now in the under-20 category, and we must maintain and even surpass their standards.
“We have the best crop of players picked from across the countries to do so, and I believe we will overcome in Côte d’Ivoire.”
The two teams must win the zonal phase in Abidjan to qualify for the continental phase later in the year.
Under 18 Invited Players
Goalkeepers
- Folorunsho Deborah (Ekiti)
- Victoria Peter (Suleja)
- Sarah Peter (Seasiders babes)
Left Back
- Toyin Ogunsakin (Ekiti)
5. Audu salamatu (Funad Academy)
Left Wing
6. Adebayo Aliyat (Mindscope Academy)
- Adegbite Abiodun (Ekiti)
Pivot
- Oluwalade Phoebe (Ekiti)
Center Back
- Ayogu Success (Ekiti)
- Ojie Princess (Funad Academy)
- Desola Wasiu (Delta Force)
- Nestor Abigail (Mindscope Academy)
Right back
- Balogun Faizat (Seasiders babe)
- Mohammed Balikis (Rima Queens)
Right Wing
- Taiwo Islamiat (Seasiders babes)
- Ngaodurubie chetachi (COAS Babes)
- Oloidi timillehin
- Omole joy
- Omole shops
- Treasure Mike Osage
- Duru Success
- Okonkwo Sharon
Officials
- Coach John
- Coach Bukola Duru
Nigeria Handball Players Resume Camp is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
