Coach Rafiu Salami has picked sixteen players who will represent Nigeria in the Africa Women Handball Championship, as Team Nigeria played it last training match in preparation for the tournament in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The National Women Senior Handball Team have been undergoing intensive training under the tutorship of Coach Salami and assistant Yusuf Abdukadir for over a month at the Aguiyi Ironsi Cantonment in Abuja.
The ladies who had earlier won 2 and lost 1 of its friendly matches, were yesterday out-muscled 46-28 by Abuja-based Men’s National Division 1 Side, Arise Stars. The national side trailed 20-15 at halftime, & Captain Dorathy Nyagh conceeded that the men were good & too strong for them.
Leading the team to Cameroon is Benue Queen’s left back Dorothy Nyagh, alongside Prudent Energy Handball Premier League 2020 best goalkeeper Toyin Yusuf of Plateau Peacocks.
The duo of Prudent Energy Handball Premier League Champions Adorable Angels of Kwara Muhinat Yusuf and Wuruola Nuhu are included, while Edo Dynamos duo Alaska Palang and Daina Saaloo made the cut.
Safety Babes quartet of Patience Amodu, Chisom Umeh, Ruth Ojo Iko and Taiwo Raji are included, while Benin Republic based players Rachael Ovetuo and Mercy Audu are the only foreign based players to make the final team list.
Team Nigeria are expected to travel to Yaoundé, Cameroon on Friday, as the games will start on June 6. Nigeria will play hosts Cameroon, DR Congo and Kenya in Group B.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Maigidansanma Mohammed, believes Team Nigeria will do well in the Africa Women Handball Championship as they are in good hands under the tutelage of Coach Salami.
In a statement signed by him from the HFN secretariat, Mohammed described the Issy Handball Club of France tactician as a refined and humble personality whose doggedness and passion for his job is second to none.
For Mohammed, these qualities and several more are the necessary qualities that will spur the ladies to victory in Cameroon.
The travelling 16 players and HFN Officials will all have their second COVID-19 tests on Wednesday.
The Confederation of African Handball had during a Virtual meeting with all 12 teams billed to compete in Yaounde confirmed that only Nigeria and DR Congo complied with its requirement of doing the first test 7 days before departure to Cameroon.
TEAM NIGERIA DELEGATION TO CAMEROON FOR THE WOMEN’S SENIOR AFRICA NATIONS CUP.
PLAYERS:
Toyin Yusuf – PLATEAU PEACOCKS, Nigeria.
Patience Amodu – SAFETY BABES, Nigeria.
Alaska Palang – EDO DYNAMOS, Nigeria.
Daina Saaloo – EDO DYNAMOS, Nigeria.
Rachael Ovetuo – ASPAC, Benin Republic
Khadijat Musbau – SEASIDER BABES, Nigeria.
Mercy Audu – ASPAC, Benin Republic.
Ahamefula C. Grace – ABIA VALIANTS, Nigeria.
Chisome Umeh – SAFETY BABES, Nigeria.
Dorathy Nyagh – BENUE QUEENS, Nigeria.
Ruth Ojo Iko – SAFETY BABES, Nigeria.
Taiwo Raji – SAFETY BABES, Nigeria.
Muhinat Yusuf – KWARA ADORABLE ANGELS, Nigeria.
Adaobi Okoro – DEFENDER BABES, Nigeria.
Ashiawu Wuraola Nuhu – KWARA ADORABLE ANGELS, Nigeria
Ugochi Nnadi – IMO GRASSHOPPERS, Nigeria.
COACHES:
Rafiu Salami – HEAD COACH (Issy Handball Club, Masculin, France)
Yusuf Ibrahim Abdulkadir – COACH (Plateau Peacocks, Nigeria).
Africa Women’s Handball Championship Grouping
Group A
Senegal
Tunisia
Guinea
Madagascar
Group B
Cameroon
DR Congo
Nigeria
Kenya
Group C
Angola
Congo
Algeria
Cape Verde.
