With a comfortable 35-17 victory over Azerbaijan yesterday, Nigeria has gained their first victory at the International Handball Federation (IHF) Emerging Nations Championship taking place in Bulgaria.
Faruk Yusuf, a rising star in Nigerian handball, finished the first half with six goals, three of which came on fast breaks, as Nigeria were utterly unstoppable with an amazing display of lightning speed.
Having learnt from their defeat against Bulgaria on Wednesday, Coach Solomon Yola’s team took the situation by the horns and won the first half 18-7.
With fast break goals, 9-meter goals, and strong defense, captain Obinna Anih inspired the team to a comfortable 35-17 victory at the end of the second half.
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Yusuf continued his excellent play in the game, scoring 13 goals overall to finish with 19 goals, which is the second-highest total in the group stage and two goals less than Andorra’s top scorer Unai Ruiz.
However, Obinna Anih was chosen as the game’s MVP for his outstanding leadership.
Following their 40-13 victory over Malta in 2019, Nigeria’s victory is their second-largest triumph in 12 games.
The national U-24 male handball team, which placed second in group D behind the host nation of Bulgaria, will take on Great Britain on Saturday at 2pm in an effort to move up from their previous finish of seventh place.
