Nigerian team lands in Cameroon for African Women’s Nations Cup

THE Nigerian women’s national handball team has returned to the Nations Cup for the first time in 25 years.

The team, made up of 16 players, coaches and officials, left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Friday for Yaounde, Cameroon to take part in the Women’s Handball Nations Cup.

They have arrived in Cameroon and are looking forward to the competition.

They played their last training match on Tuesday where they lost 46-28 to an Abuja-based Men’s National Division 1 side, Arise Stars.

Head coach Rafiu Salami dropped two players, Alawaye Ramat and Onyinye Ilo, from the final squad before the team’s departure for Cameroon.

The final list of 16 players and HFN officials had their second Covid-19 tests on Wednesday.

The Confederation of African Handball confirmed that only Nigeria and DR Congo complied with its requirement of undergoing the first test seven days before departure for the tournament.

Nigeria’s opening Group B match is on Sunday against DR Congo.

The Nigerian ladies will then play hosts Cameroon, followed by a fixture against Kenya, a team they defeated at the last African Games.

Champions Angola, who have won the tournament 13 times, are the clear favourites.

Nigeria’s first-round opponents, DR Congo and Cameroon, finished third and fourth in the last edition held in Congo in 2018.

Nigeria’s only title in the tournament came in 1991 when Egypt hosted.