Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Handball team, the Golden Arrows, are presently undergoing an intensive training camp in Abuja ahead of the 25th Africa Men’s Handball Championship.
The 25th edition of the African Men’s Handball Championship, scheduled to hold in Egypt from July 9th – 19th 2022, will also serve as the the African qualifying tournament for the 2023 World Men’s Handball Championship in Poland and Sweden.
It was originally suppose to hold in January 2022, but was postponed after the Confederation of Africa Handball (CAHB) received series of protests from some countries after the initial draw grouping. The Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN) invited 26 players made up of players of top teams in the Prudent Energy Handball Premier League.
Some foreign professionals were also invited, sweating it out in the camp at the Agunyi Ironsi Cantonment in Abuja, under the tutelage of Coach Solomon Yola who is holding the fort for France based Coach Rafiu Salami.
Coach Solomon Yola said the players are responding to training and will do everything humanly possible to ensure they represent Nigeria with flying colours at the championship.
“The boys have been putting in the hardwork in camp and hopefully when the gaffer Coach Rafiu arrives, it will get better,” Coach Yola said.
“One thing is for sure, we will ensure we do well in the Nations Cup because our goal is to qualify for the World Championship.”
Nigeria is in drawn in Group C alongside Tunisia and Cape Verde. The Golden Arrows will play their first match against Tunisia in their first match on July 11th and then Cape Verde on July 12th.
The Golden Arrows have participated in eleven editions of the Africa Men’s Handball Championships with their best outing recorded in the 1998 edition held in South Africa, where they finished 4th after losing to Egypt 35-26.
PROVISIONAL LIST OF 25 PLAYERS FOR SENIOR NIGERIA NATIONAL CAMP
(GK)
1: Oladunoye Adamoulugbe (Police Machine)
2: Micheal Solomon Agbaji (
3: Okwor Obinna (Confluence Stars)
4: Abbas Mohammed ( Niger United)
5: Bature Sanni ( Kano Pillars)
PIVOT
6:Stephen Sesugh (Kano Pillars)
7: Dele Kelvin ( Niger United
8: Joseph Igwekere (Sokoto Rima)
CENTRE BACK
9: Obinna Patrick
10:Ibrahim Dikko (Kano Pillars
11:Emeka Adigwe ( Flowers of Benin Republic)
12:Aminu Aliyu ( Niger United)
13:Atabo Abubakar ( Safety Shooters)
LEFT BACK
14:Chris Ogendengbe (Kano Pillars)
15:Kingsley Okubuike (Flowers of Benin Republic)
16:Anthony Agada (Confluence Stars)
17: Owolabi Yaya ( Tojemarine)
18:Odeh Gbawun (Niger United)
RIGHT BACK
19:Obinna Anih (Israel)
20:Rotibi Gbenga ( Morocco)
RIGHT WING
21:Faruq Yusuf ( Lomza Vive Kielce, Poland)
22:Gbenga Cole (Morocco)
23:Osamwonyi Matthew (Kano Pillars)
LEFT-WING
24:Ana’s Mohammed ( Niger United)
25:Aminu Chris (Kano Pillars
26:Andrew Ojo (Kano Pillars)
2022 African Men’s Handball Championship Groups
Group A
Egypt
Morocco
Cameroon
Group B
Algeria
Gabon
Guinea
Kenya
Group C
Tunisia
Cape Verde
Nigeria
Group D
Angola
D.R Congo
Senegal
Zambia.
